Center for Climate Issues Statement on Disaster Preparedness Reforms

ARLINGTON, Virginia, Oct. 4 -- The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions issued the following statement by President Bob Perciasepe on the passage of disaster preparedness reforms in the Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization:

"The bipartisan effort of congressional leaders to address disaster preparedness and fund mitigation projects is a welcome step in planning for the worsening impacts of climate change and preventing loss of life. As heavier precipitation, wildfires, extreme temperatures, and other climate-related events lead to costlier damages, preparing for extreme weather (https://www.c2es.org/2018/09/florence-highlights-coastal-resilience-planning/) and rebuilding more resilient infrastructure is critically necessary.

"As billion-dollar disasters (https://www.c2es.org/document/billion-dollar-extreme-weather-events/) become more common each year, the economic impact from the resulting damages and lost economic activity is becoming a greater concern to businesses and communities alike. Extreme weather leads to power outages, logistics failures, and shuttered plants that slow our economy and hurts families relying on the next paycheck.

"Making the right choices to find the best resilience strategy is a challenging initial step for businesses and communities as outlined by C2ES work focused on how to make those decisions - whether that means levees or wetland restoration for flooding, or water reuse or loss prevention for drought.

"To build on this bipartisan success, Congress must also not lose sight of the need to reform the National Flood Insurance Program this year to implement risk-based premiums, update flood risk maps, and help homeowners manage risk."