Disaster Mitigation Targeted by Trump Saves $6 for Every $1 Spent, Report Says
- Each $1 spent preparing saves $6 later, new data show
- Last year was the costliest ever for natural disasters in U.S.
Houses and vehicles stand in floodwaters due to Hurricane Harvey in Spring, Texas, on Aug. 28, 2017.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/BloombergFederal programs to protect Americans against extreme weather and other natural disasters save even more money than previously thought, according to a report funded by the same agencies that have proposed cutting many of those programs.
The report, released Thursday by the National Institute of Building Sciences, found that every $1 the federal government spends on so-called mitigation projects, such as elevating homes at risk of flooding, improving stormwater management systems or strengthening buildings against earthquakes, reduces future costs by an average of $6. That’s higher than the 4-to-1 savings the institute last estimated in 2005; the increase reflects the growing effects of climate change as well as better data and measurement, according to the group.