One dollar spent preparing for disasters can save six

Disasters like fires, floods, and hurricanes can cause billions of dollars of damage and destroy people’s lives.

And as the climate warms, these disasters will get more extreme.

But the federal government’s BRIC program can help communities limit this damage before a disaster hits.

BRIC stands for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities. It funds disaster-resiliency projects like retrofitting homes with wildfire-resistant materials or restoring wetlands that help capture floodwater during storms.

Scata: “It’s preplanning, preparing for what we know may happen in the future.”

Joel Scata of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council says these projects are cost-effective.

A 2019 analysis of resiliency grants from three federal agencies showed that every dollar spent saved six.

BRIC was signed into law during President Donald Trump’s first term with bipartisan support. But last year, the Trump administration tried to cancel it.

In response, states sued, and in March, a judge ruled that BRIC must be reinstated.

Scata: “Prehazard mitigation programs like BRIC … they save lives, and they save dollars, and they are one of the best ways that we can make sure that the United States is prepared for the impacts of climate change.”

Reporting credit: Ethan Freedman / ChavoBart Digital Media