Snapshot Policy Snapshot: Strengthening State-Level Disaster Resilience

Programs such as FEMA's Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and the Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Grant Program offer federal funds for hazard mitigation planning activities, land-use planning to reduce risk and building code enhancements among other things. Other federal agencies, including Housing and Urban Development, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Defense, also offer funding and technical assistance to support resilience efforts in housing, agriculture, and defense sectors. 

Rising catastrophe losses and increased insurance costs have driven states to explore policies balancing affordability and availability. Collaborative efforts among policymakers, insurance regulators and private insurers may help create more sustainable insurance markets while promoting community-level resilience measures.

States are leveraging data collection and catastrophic modeling to better understand and mitigate disaster risks. Updated floodplain maps for example are key to land-use planning and permitting activities.

Extreme heat, algal blooms and vector-borne diseases present growing public health risks. States can consider public health impacts in resilience planning which may lead to the establishment of cooling centers, expanded green infrastructure and strategies for addressing vulnerable populations' adaptive capacity.

Planning and implementing community-based resilience plans may benefit from frameworks such as the TOPIC (Triage, Organize, Prioritize, Implement, Continue) method. This approach ensures projects are practical, feasible, and supported by broad stakeholder consensus, improving the longevity and effectiveness of resilience investments.

Texas developed the Texas Flood Infrastructure Fund through Senate Bill 7 (2020), partially supported by Building Resilient Infrastructure & Communities and Regional Catastrophic Preparedness grants, to finance flood control and mitigation projects statewide. The TFIF provides low- and no-interest loans as well as grants to support floodplain management, flood mapping and large-scale regional projects, enhancing preparedness for catastrophic flooding events. 

Hawaii recently took action to address wildfire risk and insurance. One bill (SR 79) directs the insurance commissioner to coordinate development of a wildfire insurance compact, while another (SR 160) calls for a comprehensive study on wildfire risk and insurance. The study aims to explore market-based approaches to better address wildfire threats across the state. 

New Jersey, through Senate Bill 2607 (2021), requires municipalities to incorporate climate vulnerability assessments into local planning, specifically analyzing flood and heat risks. Supported by the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection, catastrophic scenario modeling is used to ensure that future development aligns with the state’s resilience plans.

California’s Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program, established through Assembly Bill 585 (2021) created a framework for coordinating state-level responses to extreme heat and for funding projects such as cooling centers, shaded public spaces, and heat-resistant infrastructure, especially in areas deemed highly vulnerable to heat impacts​.

South Carolina formalized the creation of the Office of Resilience, which created a resilience framework to design and implement statewide plans. The office was created in 2019 through Senate Bill 259. The framework includes assessing state vulnerabilities, organizing resources and implementing mitigation projects and is guided by a resilience advisory committee that facilitates broad stakeholder input. This ensures resilience investments align with community needs and long-term goals. ​