re: :...shouldn't they have done this by now?"
Read between the lines... The operative phrases are "high impact events" and "long term recovery".
This seems to concede the possibility of a UMCE [ultra-mass casualty event] that could affect the entire country for some time to come. Obvious question would, of course, be "Why now?"
sub6
Ahh, excellent points, thank you. Also, your question of "why now" is valid but troubling.