Good Morning…

Welcome back to Disaster Discourse Monthly! In this issue, we discuss the Sri Lanka attacks, Brock Long’s return to Hagerty, and a new resilience strategy in DC.

Around the world…

Ten days before the bombings at three churches in Sri Lanka, a top police official warned of threats from a radical Islamist group.

In Hagerty news…

We’re so excited to welcome back Brock Long, former FEMA Administrator, as Hagerty’s Executive Chairman. In this new role, Long will continue to provide the thought leadership he implemented at FEMA and support the firm’s mission of helping clients prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.

In federal government news…

After months of back and forth, the Senate has passed a bipartisan disaster aid bill; however, the House has yet to pass it.

In Washington, DC…

In order to prepare for the increasing risk of disasters presented by climate change, the city has released its first strategy to promote resilience and equity.

At FEMA…

Acting FEMA Administrator Peter Gaynor recently urged the importance of individual responsibility in disaster mitigation, calling FEMA only a “bridge to safe, secure and sanitary.”

In the Midwest…

Unprecedented flooding has caused mayors in Iowa, Minnesota and elsewhere to call for a comprehensive infrastructure plan to address the growing risk to their communities.

It could get expensive…

The Congressional Budget Office has predicted that the US will spend a staggering $54 billion in the coming years on disaster damage, which could be avoided if we invest in mitigation now.