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Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Recovery Activities

USGS supports recovery efforts in declared natural disaster areas through supplemental appropriations. This site describes the USGS activities related to recovery and rebuilding after natural disasters.

When natural disasters strike our nation, Congress can appropriate funding under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.) and supplemental funding acts for Federal disaster relief activities. In 201820192022, and 2023 Congress funded USGS under these Acts to aid recovery efforts from widespread wildfires, devastating hurricanes, prolonged volcanic eruptions, and damaging earthquakes. This enables USGS to repair and replace equipment and facilities, collect high-resolution elevation data, and conduct scientific studies and assessments to support recovery and rebuilding decisions. 

News

Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior joined staff from the USGS and Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for roundtable discussion and press event on climate adaptation science and partnerships at the University of Puerto Rico

Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior joined staff from the USGS and Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources for roundtable discussion and press event on climate adaptation science and partnerships at the University of Puerto Rico

SPCMSC scientists conducting geophysical surveys at the Chandeleur Islands, LA

SPCMSC scientists conducting geophysical surveys at the Chandeleur Islands, LA

Landslide Forecasting in Puerto Rico

Landslide Forecasting in Puerto Rico

Publications

2022 Emergency Assistance Act — USGS recovery activities

The Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act (Public Law 117-43) was enacted on September 30, 2021. The U.S. Geological Survey received $26.3 million in supplemental funding to repair and replace facilities and equipment, collect high-resolution elevation data, and complete scientific assessments to support direct recovery and rebuilding decisions in areas affected by d
Authors
Jo Ellen Hinck, Joseph Stachyra

Multi-model comparison of computed debris flow runout for the 9 January 2018 Montecito, California post-wildfire event

Hazard assessment for post-wildfire debris flows, which are common in the steep terrain of the western United States, has focused on the susceptibility of upstream basins to generate debris flows. However, reducing public exposure to this hazard also requires an assessment of hazards in downstream areas that might be inundated during debris flow runout. Debris flow runout models are widely availab
Authors
Katherine R. Barnhart, Ryan P. Jones, David L. George, Brian W. McArdell, Francis K. Rengers, Dennis M. Staley, Jason W. Kean

Preliminary assessment of the wave generating potential from landslides at Barry Arm, Prince William Sound, Alaska

We simulated the concurrent rapid motion of landslides on an unstable slope at Barry Arm, Alaska. Movement of landslides into the adjacent fjord displaced fjord water and generated a tsunami, which propagated out of Barry Arm. Rather than assuming an initial sea surface height, velocity, and location for the tsunami, we generated the tsunami directly using a model capable of simulating the dynamic
Authors
Katherine R. Barnhart, Ryan P. Jones, David L. George, Jeffrey A. Coe, Dennis M. Staley

Science

2019 Kīlauea Disaster Supplemental Funding: Scientific Investigations, Kīlauea Seismic Imaging

Through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), the USGS received Supplemental funding to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption. Supplemental funding will enable the USGS to conduct scientific investigations of the current state of Kīlauea to properly interpret the data from the monitoring...
link

2019 Kīlauea Disaster Supplemental Funding: Scientific Investigations, Kīlauea Seismic Imaging

Through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), the USGS received Supplemental funding to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption. Supplemental funding will enable the USGS to conduct scientific investigations of the current state of Kīlauea to properly interpret the data from the monitoring...
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2019 Kīlauea Disaster Supplemental Funding: Gravity Monitoring

Through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), the USGS received Supplemental funding to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption. Supplemental funding will enable the USGS to conduct scientific investigations of the current state of Kīlauea to properly interpret the data from the monitoring...
link

2019 Kīlauea Disaster Supplemental Funding: Gravity Monitoring

Through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), the USGS received Supplemental funding to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption. Supplemental funding will enable the USGS to conduct scientific investigations of the current state of Kīlauea to properly interpret the data from the monitoring...
Learn More

2019 Kīlauea Disaster Supplemental Funding: Scientific Investigations, Ash Deposits

Through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), the USGS received Supplemental funding to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption. Supplemental funding will enable the USGS to conduct scientific investigations of the current state of Kīlauea to properly interpret the data from the monitoring...
link

2019 Kīlauea Disaster Supplemental Funding: Scientific Investigations, Ash Deposits

Through the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), the USGS received Supplemental funding to support recovery and rebuilding activities in the wake of the 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruption. Supplemental funding will enable the USGS to conduct scientific investigations of the current state of Kīlauea to properly interpret the data from the monitoring...
Learn More