Unequally prepared: a distributive equity study of local emergency management funding in Virginia, USA

Purpose Recent US federal executive orders have prioritized equity within the federal government, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared equity as a foundational pillar in their 2022–2026 Strategic Plan. This research study investigates the distributive equity of the most locally disseminated FEMA grant, the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG). Design/methodology/approach The Commonwealth of Virginia was selected for our research study due to its exposure to natural hazards, recent disaster losses, variance among local emergency management programs, and high-profile political disputes against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. EMPG data from 2020 to 2023 were analyzed for correlations with social vulnerability (SoVI®), community resilience (BRIC), previous disaster losses (SHELDUS), and the National Risk Index (NRI). A difference of means test was conducted on the jurisdictions that opted out of participation in the EMPG. Findings Virginia’s current EMPG funding is allocated disproportionately to wealthier local jurisdictions with lower social vulnerability, higher community resilience, and lower previous disaster losses. Jurisdictions that opted-out or received the minimum amounts had a disproportionately higher amount of total disaster losses. Originality/value This study provides a novel approach to evaluating the equity of public funding dedicated to local disaster preparedness. The findings are instructive to federal lawmakers, state governments and global initiatives in climate resilience with a similar allocation process focused solely on population sizes. The framework of this research study is easily replicable, and the metrics are publicly available for future researchers.