Andrew. Katrina. Sandy. Harvey. Irma. Maria. Combined, these disasters cost the U.S. $520 billion and left lasting physical, emotional, and economic scars across more than half of the nation's states and territories. 2018 marked the eighth consecutive year with eight or more disasters exceeding $1 billion in damages each. Yet, while the costs of disasters continue to rise, citizens and community officials consistently underestimate the risks they face.
Communities across the U.S. continue to grow and develop in high-risk areas, and the gap between total economic losses and insured losses in the wake of disasters continues to increase. As a result, lives and livelihoods continue to be lost and communities struggle to recover and fortify themselves to better withstand future events. The challenges we face as a nation to reduce the social, economic, and environmental costs of disasters require new solutions that inspire resilient action. We must cut through the distraction, uncomplicate risk, make the benefits of resilience personal, and create more opportunities for resilient action to occur.
