After the Tornado: Why Clearer FEMA Recovery Matters to RIA Members
Tornado damage in Elkhorn, Nebraska, photographed after the April 2024 disaster. Source: U.S. GAO, GAO-25-107384, fig. 17.
n minutes, a tornado can strip a roof, open a school to rain, scatter debris across streets, and cut power to an entire community. When the wind stops, the clock starts for the people who stabilize structures and restore essential buildings. For many towns—especially small and rural ones—the recovery challenge is not only physical. It is also administrative.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office put the problem plainly: “FEMA has provided inconsistent guidance to Public Assistance applicants.” [1]
Why this matters to RIA members: Restoration professionals are often called to make damaged facilities safe, document conditions, prevent secondary loss, and restore operations. The GAO report is directed at federal, Tribal, state, and local officials—not at contractors—but changes in FEMA Public Assistance guidance can shape the documentation, sequencing, and reimbursement environment surrounding public-sector disaster work.
A record storm year—and a long recovery tail
GAO reported more than 2,100 U.S. tornadoes in 2024, the highest annual total in records dating to 1950. From fiscal years 2019 through 2024, the President approved 94 major disaster declarations involving tornadoes. FEMA obligated $2.8 billion across Public Assistance and the Individuals and Households Program as of December 2024. [1]
2,100+
U.S. tornadoes in 2024 Record since 1950
94
Tornado-related major disaster declarations
$1.6B
Public Assistance across about 12,400 projects
Public Assistance was included in 86 of those disasters. FEMA obligated about $1.6 billion for roughly 12,400 projects in 26 states and one Tribe. The work ranged from emergency protective measures and debris removal to public buildings, roads, bridges, utilities, and other infrastructure. [1]
Tornado-related major disaster declarations rose sharply in fiscal year 2024. Source: GAO analysis of FEMA data, GAO-25-107384, fig. 16.
The operational reality: The emergency phase lasts days; the grant and reimbursement process can last years. Decisions made during the first hours—scope, photographs, labor records, equipment logs, safety measures, and change authorization—may later become the evidence a public applicant needs to support federal reimbursement.
Where recovery gets stuck
GAO’s interviews with officials in five states, seven counties, and two Tribes surfaced recurring problems. The examples are illustrative rather than nationally representative, but they show how administrative friction can reach the field. [1]
• Changing points of contact. One county said it worked with six Public Assistance Program Delivery Managers on one project; FEMA said the number was five. County officials reported that new managers introduced requirements they had not seen before.
• A costly documentation reversal. One state said it was initially told documentation was unnecessary for certain management costs. Five years later—after millions of dollars in costs—officials said FEMA changed course and required records they had not retained.
• Capacity gaps in small and rural communities. Officials described limited staffing, limited technical expertise, and burdens such as maintaining on-site monitoring of debris trucks—requirements that can be difficult for a small jurisdiction to sustain.
GAO’s conclusion: “This has increased the burden on applicants and recipients of FEMA assistance” as they repeat paperwork or respond to changing requirements. [1]
The work behind the federal numbers
GAO found that debris removal accounted for 23 percent of tornado-related Public Assistance obligations. Public utilities represented 25.2 percent; roads and bridges 14.8 percent; public buildings 12 percent; and protective measures and resources 11.3 percent. These categories are not a measure of RIA member revenue, but they map to facilities and emergency conditions where qualified restoration expertise can be consequential. [1]
Public Assistance obligations by project category for tornado-related major disasters, fiscal years 2019–2024. Source: GAO analysis of FEMA data, GAO-25-107384, fig. 18.
What I think you should know
RIA members should treat documentation as part of the emergency response—not as a file-closing exercise. When a public entity indicates that FEMA reimbursement may be involved:
• Confirm the chain of authority. Identify the contracting entity, the person authorized to approve scope changes, and whether the work is expected to support a FEMA Public Assistance project.
• Build a contemporaneous record. Keep dated photographs, condition and moisture readings when relevant, labor and equipment logs, material records, safety notes, daily reports, and signed scope or change authorizations.
• Separate work types. Distinguish emergency protective measures and temporary stabilization from permanent repair or reconstruction line items.
• Put changing instructions in writing. Record the source, date, and substance of guidance passed through the public applicant; request written confirmation when requirements change.
• Preserve the project file. Do not discard support based only on an oral statement that documentation will not be needed. The public applicant—not the contractor—owns the FEMA submission and should resolve eligibility questions with FEMA.
What we are advocate for
• Consistent written guidance, including a clear change log when documentation or eligibility interpretations shift.
• Continuity during staff transitions, with documented handoffs before a Program Delivery Manager rotates off a project.
• Establishing industry standards as the benchmark, establish minimum standards such as certifications a contractor must have prior to participation.
• Field testing with practitioners, so FEMA can hear from qualified restoration subject matter experts before operational guidance is finalized.
A near-term window for RIA engagement
GAO’s recommendations on Public Assistance flexibility and Program Delivery Manager consistency remained open in its latest published status update, which reflects information through February 2026. FEMA told GAO it planned to implement Public Assistance changes by fall 2026 and update Program Delivery Manager materials by winter 2026. [2]
That timetable creates a practical opening for us to offer restoration subject matter experts—not to seek special treatment, but to help officials understand how emergency decisions, documentation requirements, project handoffs, and delayed clarifications affect real recovery work. If you are interested in helping, please let us know.
The bottom line: Communities recover faster when expectations are clear before work begins, remain consistent as personnel change, and reflect conditions on the ground. RIA members can help turn that principle into workable recovery practice.
Sources
[1] U.S. Government Accountability Office, Tornadoes: Agencies Promote Resilience but Actions Needed to Improve Access to FEMA Assistance, GAO-25-107384, September 2025, especially pp. 47–58.
[2] U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-25-107384 recommendation status page; status text current through February 2026.
[3] Federal Emergency Management Agency, Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide resources.
Note: This article is for general informational purposes and does not provide legal, contracting, grant-eligibility, or reimbursement advice. Public Assistance applicants should confirm requirements with FEMA and their recipient agency.