Less than a month out from the start of hurricane season on June 1, Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives are in South Florida to remind us about disaster preparedness. But there is a twist to their pitch this year, and we think its a necessary one.
Its not only about having a plan to weather a storm; its about making sure that any plan includes financial preparedness beyond getting some cash out of the ATM in case electricity is knocked out later.
Under the threat of bigger, badder disasters fueled by climate change and sea-level rise, FEMA is trying to prepare Americans to better bounce back from disaster by being adequately insured to avoid unneeded disaster suffering.
The question is, How do we focus on resilience going forward, said David Maurstad, FEMAs chief executive of the National Flood Insurance Program.
In other words, at the recent rate of natural disasters, can FEMA, whose recent response has faced criticism, help everyone in need? Doesnt look like it.
The idea is not to sit and wait for a disaster, then react, but to ensure greater investment in mitigation strategies before and after disasters to make buildings, infrastructure, communities and individuals more resilient to the affects of extreme weather and other catastrophic events.
With well-insured homes, the federal government can cut down the sums of money currently spent on disaster recovery. Americans need to invest in their preparedness with flood insurance and thus soften the pain and suffering of recovery by shortening the time in the event they become victims. This is advice from the government agency designed to rescue us. We probably should take it. Yes, it will cost us money.
This year alone, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting that 200 million Americans, mainly in the Midwest, are at risk of flooding from snow melt and high rains. They are expecting an unprecedented flood season, Maurstad said. Already FEMA has 53 open disaster events.
Add a hurricane strike for Florida this season, and FEMA will be overloaded.
So the agency is focusing on a central theme: Americans need to be better insured. And they must realize that their homeowners insurance does not cover flooding and understand the value of flood insurance, which he thinks many more should have. A lot of people think their homeowners insurance will pay flood damage; theyre wrong, Maurstad said.
Unfortunately, Congress has been working at odds with this advice: Last year, the National Flood Insurance Program had a $25 billion deficit. Florida is a donor state. In 2017, Florida made up about 35 percent of NFIP policies. But it has received a little over 7 percent of its payouts during the past four decades. The maps that outline a regions flood risk are perilously out of date. And premiums keep rising.
Congress attempts to stabilize FEMAs finances have repeatedly failed.
FEMAs new pitch is an admission that Americans can no longer rely on the agency to come save them, as stumbles in Florida, Puerto Rico and California make clear.
Its an honest, but unfortunate, message.
