Former FEMA chief outlines what Central Texas families should do as flood recovery begins

Central Texas families are beginning the long recovery from this week's devastating flooding, and many are unsure where to start.

Deanne Criswell, former head of FEMA, said communities often face renewed trauma as they navigate the aftermath of a disaster.

"It's really hard because it builds on that trauma that they already experienced," she said. "Their priority is to listen to their state and local officials to ensure they're getting the best information about what they need to do to keep their family safe."

Criswell said recovery begins immediately, with families assessing insurance coverage and determining whether they qualify for additional aid.

"Do they have enough insurance to cover some of their losses?" she said. "If not, do they know how to get additional assistance? Is there going to be the opportunity for federal assistance somewhere down the road?"

The flooding comes as the presidentially appointed FEMA Review Council has recommended changes that would shift more disaster responsibility to states and local governments, raise the threshold for when FEMA provides federal assistance, and speed up the delivery of federal funding. Many of the council's most significant recommendations would require congressional approval.

"I think the biggest thing I think about with the review council is two things," Criswell said. "It's how they implement it. Some of those things will need to be phased in over time so states and local jurisdictions can adapt to it because their budgets are already set."

She said the proposals also represent a transfer of risk.

"Do they have the staff and the capacity to do those same compliance requirement checks to ensure that somewhere down the road, the federal government doesn't come and ask for that money back?" she said.

Criswell said disasters like the Hill Country floods are becoming increasingly unpredictable.

"We are seeing records broken year after year," she said. "When we say 1 in 100 – it's not the best way to describe it because it's really a probability. I've seen over my time that sometimes records are broken a week later."

She stressed the importance of having an emergency preparedness plan that can adapt to rapidly changing conditions.