Transit Recovery in the Aftermath of Severe Weather Events: Current State of Practice (2025)
Chapter: Appendix C: FEMA Recovery Plan Outline
APPENDIX C
FEMA Recovery Plan Outline
FEMA provides an outline of the key sections of a recovery plan with an Appendix that expands on the outline. Table 9 provides the plan outline and the questions to ask or topics to address in each section of the outline from the FEMA Appendix.
Table 9. Recovery plan sections.
| Section | Contents | Questions to Ask/Topics to Address |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Purpose of the Plan Discussion of capacity Summary of the risks and vulnerabilities Recovery goals and policies | Purpose: Why is the community preparing for recovery? Why is it important?
Capacity Assessment: What recovery capabilities does the community currently have, and how might they be compromised after a disaster? Risks, Hazards, Exposures, and Vulnerabilities: List the community assets that would be at risk if a disaster struck. This section may also include different types of disasters likely to occur in the community and how the impact on community assets may vary, depending on the disaster. Strategies: Based on capacity assessment and the determination of risks, hazards, exposures, and vulnerabilities, what strategies could the community discuss and evaluate? Recovery Goals and Policies (narrative and table or bullet points): If a disaster strikes, which community assets will be a priority for recovery? Implementation Process: How will the recovery strategies, goals, and policies be carried out? Develop action statements and timelines to assess progress. Recovery Administrative Structure: What department head, if any, needs to direct the local recovery process? Does a long-term disaster recovery manager need to be hired? How might the chain of command flow, and which departments are responsible for what activities? Could the local organization parallel State, tribal, and Federal disaster recovery frameworks? |
| Section | Contents | Questions to Ask/Topics to Address |
|---|---|---|
Community Engagement Strategy: What local volunteer agencies are active in disasters? Are NGOs and educational organizations available? How could these organizations line up with the recovery team? Mitigation Measures (narrative and table or bullet points, building on the previous section): What, if any, mitigation measures have been implemented, are in progress, or are planned? | ||
| Leadership | Core community and local leadership, roles, and responsibilities, along with jurisdictional authorities | Who are the recovery leaders in the community? Authorities: What legislation or policy enables these leaders to manage post-disaster recovery? |
| Operations | Interacting with partners Activation of personnel Communication guidelines Notification and engagement of partners Organizational charts and timelines | Partners: Which local agencies and organizations, regional/State agencies and organizations, tribal organizations, Federal agencies, and NGOs are recovery partners, and what are their recovery roles and responsibilities after a disaster?
Activation of Personnel: How and when are personnel assigned to fill recovery roles activated? Assessment and Data Gathering: What types of assessment and data gathering will be conducted after a disaster strikes? Before? Who is responsible for data collection? Are there predetermined guidelines and forms to be used for data collection? Communication Guidelines: How will recovery leaders and stakeholders communicate with one another? How often should they be communicating? Notification and Engagement of Recovery Partners: How and when will recovery partners be notified and engaged post-disaster? State, Tribal, and Federal Engagement: How will local recovery leaders communicate with the State and tribes? Are there partnerships with State, tribal, or Federal agencies that could be referenced? Organizational Chart: How are recovery leadership and partners organized? Timelines: Show the projected timelines for beginning the recovery process, starting at the time of the disaster. |
| Implementation | Priorities and policy alternatives Funding strategies Post-disaster planning process | Execution Strategy (narrative): Articulate how the community will execute its strategy for pre-disaster recovery planning, taking into account operational items listed in Section 3. Emphasize reliance on existing plans as guides to direct recovery and the process of being fully inclusive in pre-disaster recovery plan development. |
| Section | Contents | Questions to Ask/Topics to Address |
|---|---|---|
| Community engagement | Priorities and Policy Alternatives (narrative): List priorities for recovery implementation, as well as policy alternatives that may be either in place through existing partnerships or legally authorized in emergencies. Policy alternatives (such as expedited permit requests, for example), if allowed, need to be mentioned in this section. Funding Strategies (narrative): List funding strategies that may be either in place through existing partnerships or legally authorized in emergencies. These may include keeping known resource providers up to date with assessments of disaster impacts so that initial funding requirements can be determined. |
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Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications:
| A4A | Airlines for America |
| AAAE | American Association of Airport Executives |
| AASHO | American Association of State Highway Officials |
| AASHTO | American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |
| ACI–NA | Airports Council International–North America |
| ACRP | Airport Cooperative Research Program |
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act |
| APTA | American Public Transportation Association |
| ASCE | American Society of Civil Engineers |
| ASME | American Society of Mechanical Engineers |
| ASTM | American Society for Testing and Materials |
| ATA | American Trucking Associations |
| CTAA | Community Transportation Association of America |
| CTBSSP | Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program |
| DHS | Department of Homeland Security |
| DOE | Department of Energy |
| EPA | Environmental Protection Agency |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration |
| FAST | Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (2015) |
| FHWA | Federal Highway Administration |
| FMCSA | Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration |
| FRA | Federal Railroad Administration |
| FTA | Federal Transit Administration |
| GHSA | Governors Highway Safety Association |
| HMCRP | Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program |
| IEEE | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| ISTEA | Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 |
| ITE | Institute of Transportation Engineers |
| MAP-21 | Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012) |
| NASA | National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| NASAO | National Association of State Aviation Officials |
| NCFRP | National Cooperative Freight Research Program |
| NCHRP | National Cooperative Highway Research Program |
| NHTSA | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration |
| NTSB | National Transportation Safety Board |
| PHMSA | Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration |
| RITA | Research and Innovative Technology Administration |
| SAE | Society of Automotive Engineers |
| SAFETEA-LU | Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) |
| TCRP | Transit Cooperative Research Program |
| TEA-21 | Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) |
| TRB | Transportation Research Board |
| TSA | Transportation Security Administration |
| U.S. DOT | United States Department of Transportation |
