Improving the Financial Resilience of Public Entities and Individuals for Natural Disasters: A Resource Guide for State and Local Government

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Clancy, Noreen

Contributor:

Carman, Katherine Grace

Dixon, Lloyd

Morales, Sam

Paige, Jessica Welburn

Parker, Andrew M.

Wong, Brian

Language:

English

Other Title:

Improving the Financial Resilience of Public Entities and Individuals for Natural Disasters

Place of Publication:

RAND Corporation 2023

Summary:

Individuals and state and local governments (public entities) incur losses associated with natural disasters. For individuals, there are costs associated with evacuating, possible periods of unemployment, and costs associated with physical damage caused by the event, much of which is uninsured loss. Similarly, public entities incur damage to public buildings and public utilities and tax base losses associated with reduced economic activity. Although an entire community experiences a natural disaster, low-income communities and communities of color are disproportionately vulnerable to the risks of natural hazards and encounter the most difficulty in recovering from disasters. The U.S. federal government provides funds for disaster response and recovery for both individuals and public entities. However, federal assistance is limited, and financial gaps remain. The authors of this report do not make policy recommendations but rather provide a resource documenting programs and products that some communities have adopted to help improve individual and community financial resilience. Many of these products are available from the private sector, and others are programs developed by public entities or nongovernmental organizations. Improving the financial resilience of public entities and individuals after a natural disaster strengthens and speeds up a community's ability to recover.