FEMA Designates High Climate Risk “Resilience Zones”
Just in time for an out-of-the-blue Perfect Rainstorm over New York City, FEMA names communities across the country, including the New York/New Jersey area, as “Resilience Zones” eligible for special assistance.
Rikers Island in the Bronx, New York, made the list due to its extreme vulnerability to flooding. Lincoln, Wyoming, was selected because of its high avalanche risk. And the danger of both earthquakes and drought propelled part of Alameda, California, to federal attention.
The three places are among 483 census tracts nationwide that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designated Wednesday as Community Disaster Resilience Zones, giving them prioritized access to federal funding to strengthen their defenses against climate impacts and other hazards. In all, the designated tracts cover about 2 million people living in rural, urban and suburban areas.
“These designations will help ensure that the most at-risk communities are able to build resilience against natural hazards and extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said in a written statement.
Each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia has at least one community in the initial set of designations, made available in advance exclusively to Bloomberg Green. Unsurprisingly, California, Texas and Florida — large states that regularly experience hurricanes and wildfires — have the highest number of zones per state, with 51, 35 and 32, respectively.
Harris County, Texas, whose county seat is Houston, has the most resilience zones of any single US county at 14. Houston was devastated by flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Roughly 16% of people in the county live below the poverty line, according to the US Census.
In a groundbreaking move this week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) unveiled the designation of Community Disaster Resilience Zones (CDRZ), a strategic initiative set to catalyse a transformative shift in resilience funding.
hese zones are aimed at addressing the long-neglected and underserved communities that face the most significant risks from climate change and extreme weather events.
The initiative aims to proactively reduce vulnerability to a spectrum of natural hazards, including floods, hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat.
Frank Nutter, President of the Reinsurance Association of America (RAA), expressed enthusiastic support for FEMA’s decision to establish these resilience zones.
Nutter emphasised that reinsurers have long advocated for enhanced resilience in communities nationwide, but the urgent need for resilience is most pronounced in communities at the intersection of high risk and substantial need.
Failing to address these vulnerabilities could result in communities becoming uninsurable, forcing them to rely extensively on federal disaster assistance, which, until now, has often proven insufficient to support full recovery.
No new money is tied to the initial Community Disaster Resilience Zone designation. But federal agencies — including FEMA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Department of Transportation — will use the zones to prioritize grant funding and to increase the federal cost share on projects in or primarily benefiting the zones, FEMA officials said.
“Our goal … is to ensure the most at-risk and most in-need communities have the support and resources they need to improve their resilience,” Salinas said.
Designation as a Community Disaster Resilience Zone will also unlock FEMA’s technical assistance in planning resilience projects and navigating funding opportunities.
3 thoughts on “FEMA Designates High Climate Risk “Resilience Zones””
Thanks for this. I was unaware of these CDRZs. Might have expected our Emergency Management colleagues to make mention. Will have to review tp see what the implications are for us in the Austin area. No CDRZs near us.
Both are particularly concerning right now. And then there is the potential for wildfire – which is a forest management and land development challenge as well as a public information challenge. Both apathy and overreaction are problems.
Thanks for this. I was unaware of these CDRZs. Might have expected our Emergency Management colleagues to make mention. Will have to review tp see what the implications are for us in the Austin area. No CDRZs near us.
Yeah, Austin is pretty well managed, flood wise. All we have to worry about here is the heat (and water supply).
Both are particularly concerning right now. And then there is the potential for wildfire – which is a forest management and land development challenge as well as a public information challenge. Both apathy and overreaction are problems.