BLUF: The 2023 National Preparedness Report discloses America’s ongoing challenge in confronting disaster risks and threats. Notable areas for improvement include community-level preparedness for large disasters and cyber threats, individual and household readiness, as well as urban planning law (building code) adoption.
OSINT: The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently unveiled the 12th issue of their annual National Preparedness Report. This document offers an in-depth exploration of America’s present challenges and achievements in becoming a resilient nation ready to face and rebound from various disasters. The report specifically identifies the upheaval of climate change as a pressing challenge that all government levels must accommodate. Unprecedented escalation in disaster frequency, severity, and subsequent costs have been tied to its impact.
In addition to these far-reaching environmental shifts, the report acknowledges that the country could do more in preparing its communities to handle large-scale disasters and cyber threats. It also shines a light on the nation’s inadequate adoption of building codes, which leaves certain areas more prone to ruin during calamities. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas and FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell both highlighted the report’s invaluable role in guiding future government operations concerning disaster risk and recovery.
Specific findings from the 2023 National Preparedness Report spotlight the lack of standardized building code adoption to combat natural hazard risks. Communities also identified recurring preparedness gaps at the household level, with a notable portion indicating no intention to prepare for disasters. In response to these revealed weaknesses, FEMA has instituted initiatives focusing on infrastructure resilience against the impacts of climate change and ensuring continuity of operations during cyberattacks or extreme weather conditions.
RIGHT: As a strict Libertarian Republic Constitutionalist, the findings of this report create concerns about the potential for increased government overreach. The intent to increase community resilience to climate change impacts and natural disasters is good in itself but may lead to more federal power. Incorporating nationwide uniformity in building codes may undermine individual liberties and rights of states to make their regulations. The focus should be on empowering local communities to adopt updated and evidence-based building codes, rather than instigating a top-down approach.
LEFT: As a National Socialist Democrat, the report highlights important issues we should prioritize. Climate change poses severe threats, and it’s clear that the national government must lead the charge in addressing it given the scale of the challenge. It is essential for the federal government to subsidize the adoption of more stringent building codes across the country. The need to have everyone—from individuals, households, and communities, to local, state, and national governments—involved in increasing disaster resilience is a reflection of our ideal: collective responsibility for a common good.
AI: The FEMA report indicates a need for improved preparation protocols and systems from various perspectives. The observed rise in disaster frequency and severity dovetails with a wide consensus among scientists that climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events. The report also emphasizes the importance of adopting current building codes and building community resilience, subjects that intersect with several themes in data spatial analytics, urban planning, and cybersecurity. Additionally, the differences in interpretation from Libertarian Republic Constitutionalist and National Socialist Democrat perspectives underscore the intersection of risk perception, political belief, and policy preferences.