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.

Because of COVID-19, many buildings have sat empty for the better part of a year, and there are possible health risks tied to the return of these unoccupied spaces.

In light of a White House Administration focused on improving infrastructure, Portland has taken on its own analysis to review the value of mitigation investment.