After the "Perfect Storm" hit the East Coast and parts of the Midwest, the situation on the ground for many communities has been devastating. The storm surge and flooding have created huge recovery challenges, especially in New Jersey and New York. Power outages, condemned buildings, water and sewer issues, shelter, and disrupted transportation systems are among the most immediate concerns.

Local government teams from 20 states have been deployed through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact to assist in the Hurricane Sandy recovery effort.  They are helping staff shelters for thousands of displaced residents in NJ and NY and serving on incident management and emergency operations teams.

Teams have been deployed from AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MN, MS, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, UT, and WA. EMAC is a Congressionally-ratified organization that allows resources (human and physical assets) to move from one state to another with the benefit of liability protection and a structure for reimbursements.

Other valuable information can be found in the Knowledge Network:

• Top Ten Ways to Prepare for Emergencies
• Disaster Recovery: A Local Government Responsibility
• Debris Removal and Working with FEMA.