EDA's Post-Disaster Assistance Program After Hurricane Andrew: Final Report

摘要

Hurricane Andrew devastated parts of South Florida in August 1992, causing $20billion in property damage, killing at least 41 people, and injuring many more. EDA joined other federal agencies in the disaster recovery process by promptly sending a team to Miami to help the area begin to revive and reconstruct. EDA funded 29 projects, including planning grants, revolving loan funds, infrastructure projects, building renovations and improvements, and training and technical assistance programs, for a total of over $50 million. This assessment of 16 of the 29 projects, conducted three years after the disaster and more than two years after these projects were funded, demonstrates that an EDA team strategy of on-site assistance in the project development phase and a recognition that economic needs extended beyond the immediate devastated area resulted in substantial economic recovery. Projects were ranked comparatively using the variables (1) effective leadership, (2) stakeholder empowerment, (3) job creation, (4) effective progress, (5) creation of partnerships, and (6) leveraging of secondary resources. The evaluation concludes that a strategy of careful planning and a sustained commitment by EDA significantly affected project success. Outcomes included the creation of thousands of jobs through technical training and assistance, the renewal and improvement of infrastructure, and the formation of sustainable economic development networks.