Resilience 2021: Extreme Weather and Rising Sea Levels Cause More Flood Damage Every Year. What Can We Do?
May 18, 2021 | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM ET
Virtual Meeting
Floods are the most common and widespread of all weather-related natural disasters. According to testimony from Federal Emergency Management Agency representative Michael Grimm, flood damage cost approximately $17 billion each year between 2010 and 2018. Rising sea levels and extreme weather could cause $20 billion of flood damage to at-risk U.S. homes this year, rising to $32 billion by 2051, according to recent research by flood research non-profit First Street Foundation.
There are many causes of flooding. They include heavy rains, storm surge, quickly melting snow, and breaks in dams or levees. A flood can occur within minutes and last a long period of time. No state or territory in the U.S. is spared, and tragically, floods kill more people in the U.S. than tornadoes, hurricanes or lightning.
In this installment of the Resilience 2021 series, we will cover:
- Flood resilience and mitigation efforts
- The National Flood Insurance Program
- Flood risk in the Continental U.S.
Speakers

David I. Maurstad
FEMA Deputy Assoc. Administrator for Insurance & Mitigation, Senior Executive of the National Flood Insurance Program

JaLeesa Tate
State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) and Branch Manager for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA)
Contact
Jennifer Hitzke
jhitzke@nibs.org
Manager, Executive Office, Board & Volunteer Relations
National Institute of Building Sciences