FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 8, 2025
Contact: Hamza Akhtar
Email: hamza@rokksolutions.com
New Report Reveals How Strengthening Disaster Resilience Can Save Taxpayers Billions and Better Protect Communities
Analysis shows how pre-disaster mitigation can save taxpayer dollars and improve post-disaster recovery efforts
Washington, DC – December 8, 2025 – A new report released by the SmarterSafer Coalition (SmarterSafer) highlights how proactive investments in disaster resilience can save billions in taxpayer dollars while better protecting communities from the growing impacts of extreme weather.
“With disaster spending rising year over year, this report makes clear that investing in resilience is one of the most effective means for policymakers to reduce the cost of recovery,” said Chris Brown, Executive Director of the SmarterSafer Coalition. “By strengthening homes and modernizing infrastructure, we can save billions of dollars for American taxpayers while giving communities a stronger chance to withstand the impacts of extreme weather events.”
Drawing from data that documents the rising cost of recovery, the report outlines the impacts that natural disasters have on communities, the economy, and the environment. The report goes on to highlight future trends in disaster-related spending and the proven benefits of pre-disaster mitigation.
Insights from the report include, but are not limited to:
- Natural disasters financially affect not only those who are physically and geographically impacted, but every single American taxpayer whose tax dollars contribute to post-disaster response and recovery efforts.
- Financing remains a persistent barrier, with adaptation solutions currently receiving only about one-tenth of the annual funding required globally.
- Extreme weather poses risks to taxpayers beyond what may be thought of as typical disaster recovery spending, including physical risk to Department of Defense (DOD) assets, overall military readiness, and the safety of those in uniform.
The report emphasizes stronger coordination across agencies and policies that put mitigation at the center of preparedness and recovery planning. The findings underscore how resilience can deliver meaningful, long-term benefits for communities and the economy. Read the full report here.
About SmarterSafer
SmarterSafer.org is a national coalition that is made up of a diverse chorus of voices united in favor of environmentally responsible, fiscally sound approaches to natural catastrophe policy that promote public safety. The coalition believes that the Federal government has a role in encouraging and helping homeowners to undertake mitigation efforts to safeguard their homes against natural disasters. At the same time, the coalition opposes measures that put people’s lives at risk at the expense of taxpayers. Measures such as subsidizing artificially low rates for homeowners’ insurance policies help to encourage construction in environmentally sensitive and unsafe areas. The coalition is working to ensure that Congress does not incentivize people to live in harm’s way in places prone to hurricanes and floods.
For more information on the SmarterSafer Coalition, please contact hamza@rokksolutions.com.
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