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FEMA’s National Institute of Building Sciences Releases Update to its 2005 Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves Report

FEMA’s
National Institute of Building Sciences Releases Update to its

2005
Natural Hazard Mitigation Saves Report

ASFPM and other organizations have used
the 2005 report very heavily in our congressional testimony, policy guidance,
etc. As most of you know, the well cited statistic “FEMA mitigation programs
result in $4 benefits for every $1 in cost” comes from the 2005 report. Well,
the 2017 report has even better news:

For
mitigation programs, overall the ratio is $6 in benefits for every $1 spent
For
flood mitigation, the ratio is better, $7 in benefits for every $1 in cost
The
report assesses not only all of FEMA’s mitigation programs (including PA 406),
but also HUD CDBG-DR, and several programs of EDA.

The report examined 23 years of data
showing the costs and benefits of federal mitigation grants from FEMA, HUD and
EDA. Those grants, which totaled $27 billion in spending, led to an estimated
$158 billion in benefits, including $68 billion in avoided deaths and injuries,
$58 billion in avoided property damage and $13 billion in avoided costs
associated with additional living expenses and direct interruptions to
businesses.

We urge you to check out either the 344-page full report, or the 22-page “Summary of Findings.”

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