Final answer:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is the U.S. agency responsible for disaster response and recovery. FEMA operates within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to coordinate efforts among local, state, and federal entities during disasters, although it has faced criticism for inefficiencies in the past.
Step-by-step explanation:
The U.S. agency responsible for overseeing the actions of protecting against, responding to, recovering from, and preventing the effects of disaster is the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA is an agency within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and is tasked with coordinating the response to a disaster that has occurred in the United States and that overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities. However, there have been instances such as during Hurricane Katrina when FEMA was criticized for its ineffectiveness in coordinating other agencies and utilizing the rescue infrastructure effectively. Despite this criticism, FEMA's role is crucial in ensuring national preparedness and response during times of crisis.
The creation of the DHS was a significant shift in federal power, aimed at federalizing disaster response and consolidating efforts across various government entities to better protect the territory of the United States from natural and human threats. This included implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures as well as ensuring the resilience of critical national infrastructure. It was an attempt to avoid the disconnectedness of agencies that became evident after the 9/11 attacks and subsequent events like Hurricane Katrina.