Statement By FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate Regarding The Christchurch, New Zealand Earthquake 

The thoughts and prayers of every member of the FEMA team go out to the victims and survivors of the terrible earthquake that struck New Zealand yesterday.  As with all international disasters, FEMA is supporting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the U.S. Government's response to the earthquake.

FEMA Deputy Administrator for Protection and National Preparedness, Tim Manning, was in Christchurch at the time of the quake, as part of a trip to New Zealand and Australia to discuss a broad range of emergency management issues, as part of ongoing international cooperation efforts.  Tim is safe and is in close contact with the U.S. Embassy.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.