coalition_letter_in_support_of_mitigation_in_disaster_policy_reform_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf

A coalition of 19 organizations submitted a letter to U.S. Senate leadership on June 8, 2018, urging the inclusion of disaster recovery and resilience provisions from the House-passed FAA Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4) in the final legislation. The coalition specifically advocates for the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) and the PREPARE Act of 2018 to shift federal focus toward pre-disaster mitigation and resilient rebuilding.

• The coalition supports the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), which aims to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to prioritize pre-disaster mitigation and allow FEMA funds to support rebuilding infrastructure according to the latest consensus-based codes and standards rather than returning it to pre-disaster conditions.
• Investment in hazard mitigation provides a significant return on investment; a 2017 National Institute of Building Sciences report for FEMA indicates that every $1 spent on federal mitigation grants can save an average of $6 in future disaster costs.
• The coalition advocates for specific mitigation strategies, including the adoption of modern building codes, the use of green infrastructure and natural defenses (such as wetlands), and the avoidance of new development in high-risk areas.
• The coalition supports the PREPARE Act (Title IX of H.R. 4), a no-cost bipartisan response to the GAO's High Risk List that identifies extreme weather as a fiscal threat. The Act seeks to improve federal agency coordination on preparedness and support regional, state, and local efforts to assess vulnerabilities and implement resilience strategies.
• Evidence is provided that building code upgrades in Florida following Hurricane Andrew in 1992 reduced the frequency of property damage by 60 percent and severity by 42 percent after Hurricane Charley in 2004. Additionally, wetlands and floodplains in Middlebury, Vermont, saved the town an average of $450,000 annually and protected it from up to $1.8 million in damages during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2018). coalition_letter_in_support_of_mitigation_in_disaster_policy_reform_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf. https://www.eesi.org/files/Coalition_Letter_in_Support_of_Mitigation_in_Disaster_Policy_Reform_8June2018.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. coalition_letter_in_support_of_mitigation_in_disaster_policy_reform_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf. 2018. https://www.eesi.org/files/Coalition_Letter_in_Support_of_Mitigation_in_Disaster_Policy_Reform_8June2018.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=coalition_letter_in_support_of_mitigation_in_disaster_policy_reform_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf |date=8 June 2018 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Coalition_Letter_in_Support_of_Mitigation_in_Disaster_Policy_Reform_8June2018.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2018coalitionletterinsupportofmitigationindisasterpolicyreform8june2018e004977c45261fc4pdf, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{coalition\_letter\_in\_support\_of\_mitigation\_in\_disaster\_policy\_reform\_8june2018-e004977c45261fc4.pdf}}, publisher = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2018}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Coalition_Letter_in_Support_of_Mitigation_in_Disaster_Policy_Reform_8June2018.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }