Federal Declarations are often made only after an initial damage assessment is completed in order to determine whether specific thresholds have been met. This survey is typically conducted by teams of local, state, and federal professionals in the immediate aftermath of an incident. FEMA and other agencies provide worksheets to assist in gathering the information needed to recover funds expended before, during, and after a disaster. This week you will be tasked with reviewing the mock data and utilizing that data to complete an Initial Damage Assessment Report.

It is essential that you are able to populate a formatted spreadsheet with data that has been compiled in order to calculate variables common in disaster recovery such as overtime, debris volume, and vehicle usage.

Consider the following scenario:

You are the emergency manager for a small town in New England. A winter storm has passed through the region, leaving an unprecedented amount of snow and debris from fallen trees. The state emergency management agency has asked to meet with you to assess the damage and compile data in an effort to determine whether the event will reach thresholds for declaration of disaster. If met, this would allow for the impacted communities to request reimbursement of expenses related to the storm. The representative from the state has forwarded a spreadsheet for you to complete ahead of the visit to assist with making the final assessment.

How to complete an Initial Damage Assessment Report.

Review the Facts and Figures Document. This document is an example of data that would be collected from town departments documenting overtime, materials, supplies, and equipment used during the storm.

Download the Initial Damage Assessment Report and put the figures in the proper section. For this Assignment you will focus on the tabs labeled “Public Damage Work Categories,” Residential Business Damage,” and “Instructions.”