Summary and Key Findings of Fiscal Year 2015 FEMA Disaster Grant and Program Audits

We determined that of the 55 grant audit reports we issued in fiscal year 2015, 43 reports contained 154 recommendations resulting in potential monetary benefits of $1.734 billion. This amount included $457.46 million in questioned costs that we recommended FEMA disallow as ineligible or unsupported and $1.28 billion in cost avoidance, unused obligated funding, and unused funds at risk that we recommended FEMA put to better use. The eight program audits did not relate to specific grants. In three program audits, we deployed staff to major disasters to assess FEMA’s initial response to disasters. Another program audit related to technical assistance we provided during a disaster deployment. The remaining four program audits covered other FEMA programs or operations, contained six recommendations for improving FEMA programs or operations, and identified $1.6 million in potential monetary benefits.