The Economist Intelligence Unit, FEMA and Resilience Action Partners have published a series of podcasts about investment in flood mitigation funding and what it means for communities.
The podcasts include interviews with Mayor Tom Stiehm of Austin and Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), both officials from persistently flood-hit areas, giving their views on flood resilience.
Stiehm advises other communities prone to flooding not just to focus on fixing flood damage but also on addressing the issues that caused the problem to mitigate future risk.
Kennedy highlights the importance of flood insurance, pointing out that communities like Louisiana, Florida and California would come to a halt without it.
He goes on to discuss his legislative priorities with regard to flood mitigation, saying the most important issue is to try to maintain the fiscal integrity of the National Flood Insurance Program. He also stated that it’s important to make the insurance affordable – only 20 percent of Louisiana homes currently have flood insurance – and also described how he would like to see the private sector playing a part in insuring homes and businesses against floods.