Senator Thom Tillis on Withholding Federal Funds for Neglecting Disaster Resilience

The Need for Resilience and Mitigation

• hurricanes in North Carolina have caused significant damage, including to homes, small businesses, and infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for resilience and mitigation efforts.
• 💡 Despite discussions about mitigation over the past decade, action has been minimal, with focus often fading after a storm passes.

Conditions on Federal Aid

• ⚠️ While individual FEMA assistance for basic needs like food and shelter should not have conditions, conditions on resiliency and recovery aid for states and local jurisdictions are supported.
• 🎯 Federal aid should prioritize jurisdictions that actively implement best practices for resilience, such as forestry management and tributary clearing.
• 💰 In a world of scarce resources, states and local governments that fail to demonstrate laws, procedures, and funding for preparedness should not receive federal dollars.

Implementing Effective Mitigation Strategies

• 🏗️ Building codes are a basic, low-hanging fruit for mitigation, proven to reduce losses from natural disasters, as seen with Hurricane Ian in Florida.
• 🏠 When rebuilding after disasters, it is crucial to implement resilient building practices.
• 🗣️ Local and state officials need the courage to implement necessary resilience measures, even if they face political pushback.
• ⚖️ The federal government should reward communities that prioritize resilience and deny funding to those that do not.

Consequences of Inaction

• 📉 Past mistakes and a lack of mitigation efforts have contributed to significant damage in communities impacted by storms.
• 🏢 A former mayor's experience of being forced to elevate buildings, which then survived a storm, illustrates the effectiveness of resilience measures.