HANDBOOK FOR DISASTER ASSISTANCE
INITIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT
Immediately following a disaster, an initial damage assessment must be performed by the local jurisdiction to assess the impacts of the disaster. This assessment should provide a rough estimate of the type and the extent of damages, including probable costs. Often this will require the coordination of the various municipal governments who will also perform their own damage assessments. When the information has been collected, it is transmitted immediately by facsimile to the State Warning Point in the DEM.
