Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Lessons Amidst Hurricane Melissa

Hurricane Sandy's Impact and Recovery

• 🌀 Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 1 storm 13 years ago, strengthening to Category 3 before hitting Cuba and the Bahamas.
• 💔 It weakened to a post-tropical cyclone before its US landfall near Atlantic City, New Jersey, causing 147 direct fatalities globally and an estimated $88.5 billion in US damages.

Prioritizing Vulnerable Populations

• ⚠️ Those most vulnerable before a storm, including seniors with mobility issues and low-income individuals, are disproportionately affected.
• 🏠 Shelters often fill with the most vulnerable, highlighting the need for prioritized protection and rapid housing/support in the aftermath.

Rebuilding for Resilience, Not Just Restoration

• 🏗️ Communities should not rebuild as they were, but rather as they should have been, incorporating lessons learned from past disasters.
• 🏠 This means building homes out of harm's way, using fortified construction, and strengthening community-level protections.
• 🌊 Examples include ongoing flood mitigation efforts in New York City, demonstrating a commitment to future storm preparedness.

Funding and Policy for Disaster Recovery

• 💰 While disaster aid is typically provided after a storm, there's a critical need for proactive investment in infrastructure and protective measures before disasters strike.
• 📜 The current system, where disaster recovery programs like CDBG-DR require new legislation each time, lacks predictability and efficiency.
• 🛠️ Passing legislation to establish a permanent CDBG-DR program would provide much-needed stability and speed up recovery processes.