The 2019 Hurricane Season Is Here: Now What?

“[I]t is critical to learn from events such as Florence, to minimize the damages and streamline the response and recovery for the next storm…The growing economic and human costs of these events require that we not only change how we respond, but do so far more quickly than we have in the past.” This is one of the conclusions from a recent report from insurance company, Zurich North America, which commissioned a report on the lessons from Hurricane Florence for North Carolina. The 2019 hurricane season officially began on June 1, yet it is only nine months since Hurricane Florence brought a record-breaking storm surge of 9-13 feet and rainfall of 20-30 inches producing widespread, life-threatening flooding across eastern North Carolina[1]. There were over 50 fatalities, 5,000 evacuations and rescues, 15,000 seeking emergency shelter, and $17 billion in damages to homes and businesses[2]. FEMA has approved $1.3 billion of Federal funds to help clean-up and recovery[3]. In the month of June 2019 alone, FEMA and the State of North Carolina announced payments of $12.8 million to local governments for debris removal, electric cooperatives for the repair of electrical systems, and other public agencies for repairs and clean-up[4]. All this comes just two years after Hurricane Matthew, which devastated many communities and triggered planning and actions to make the state less vulnerable and more resilient to major disasters. During 2018, North Carolina Emergency Management and FEMA approved awards of over $88 million through its Hurricane Matthew Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to elevate, reconstruct or buy-out 680 homes [...]