Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, wildfires, and severe storms, have caused devastating financial and human losses across the U.S., with cumulative disaster costs reaching nearly $3 trillion since 1980. In 2024 alone, 27 major disasters resulted in damage exceeding $1 billion each, underscoring the urgent need for resilience measures to protect lives, property, and local economies.
The 2025 Moving Forward report Retrofitting for Resilience outlines the urgent need for proactive investment in disaster mitigation strategies. It highlights that every $1 spent on resilience can yield up to $13 in savings from avoided losses, according to the 2019 National Institute of Building Sciences Mitigation Saves Study. It also urges policymakers, industry leaders, and communities to take immediate action to support the retrofitting of buildings and infrastructure for enhanced resilience in the face of increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters.
Join us for a Congressional briefing on the findings of the new report, which outlines how strategic investments in disaster mitigation can save lives, protect property, and strengthen local economies. This timely discussion will highlight:
- Evidence-based strategies for retrofitting buildings and infrastructure
- Policy recommendations to support resilient communities nationwide
- S. 1323: The Facilitating Increased Resilience, Environmental Weatherization and Lowered Liability (FIREWALL) Act
