Illustrative Actions

Make All Infrastructure Resilient – Strong, resilient infrastructure, such as roads, dams, and electric grids, can help communities quickly recover from natural disasters. However, vulnerable infrastructure can result in devastating impacts on communities.

It is essential that infrastructure, from roads to dams to electric grids, are resilient to climate changes and natural disasters. As Congress considers new spending on infrastructure, enduring resilience should be an essential component of all projects, so new infrastructure is built to withstand changing climate conditions many decades in the future.

Encourage State and Local Physical and Financial Resiliency

• State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments should do more to strengthen the physical and financial resilience of public buildings like schools, town halls, and city-owned structures. This includes purchasing insurance protection and building back for resilience following a natural disaster.
• State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments should pursue innovative insurance solutions that can help them bear the financial burdens of natural disasters.
• The federal government should stop incentivizing communities to underinvest in insurance because they know FEMA will pay the bill post-disaster.