The Emerging Role of Regional Water Management Districts in Hurricane Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

Abstract

The Emergency Management Division of the Department of Community Affairs is the agency responsible for statewide planning and implementation of hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery plans for Florida. This responsibility is laid out in Florida Statutes, Chapter 252. In that law, the Division of Emergency Management is charged with authorizing "the creation of local organizations for emergency management in the political subdivisions of the state, and to authorize cooperation with the Federal Government and the governments of other states" (Ch. 252.32 F.S.). The Statutes also say it is "the policy of the state that all emergency management functions of the state be coordinated to the maximum extent with comparable functions of the Federal Government, including its various departments, agencies of other states and localities, and private agencies of every type, to the end that the most effective preparation and use may be made of the manpower, resources, and facilities of the nation for dealing with any emergency that may occur" (Ch. 252.32 (2) F.S.).