Lessons Learned from America’s Mayors on Disaster Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Resiliency

Last week in Tampa, President and CEO Bryan Koon, Director of Recovery Anne Bink, and Director of Disaster Recovery Kera Package joined our nation’s mayors at the 93^rd Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. America’s Mayors convened to discuss our nation’s most pressing and urgent policy issues, share best practices, and collaborate on innovative solutions to cultivate thriving communities.

A major focus? How communities can better prepare for and respond to extreme weather events and disasters. With hurricane season underway and disaster-related threats accelerating nationwide, the conversations around the table were timely and instructive.

From firsthand lessons to proven practices, America’s mayors offered clear-eyed insights that every emergency manager, policymaker, and stakeholder should hear. Here are some of the key takeaways our IEM team walked away with—and what they mean for communities on the frontlines.

Preparing for Extreme Weather and Disasters:

1. Know your response and recovery team BEFORE you need to phone for assistance. Take the time to meet with your state’s emergency management leadership on a regular basis. Share your needs and plan for extreme weather events.
2. Ensure contracts are in place, current, and flexible enough to respond to the worst disasters and the full spectrum of emergency response needs. Procurement processes can be tedious and time-consuming. Having contracts executed in advance, planning with your vendors, and requiring rapid deployment as a term of service expedites response.
3. Learn from the past, evaluate present capacity, and plan for the future. After action evaluations, vulnerability assessments, and updated community plans provide critical insights and opportunities for action – ultimately saving lives, property, and time when disasters strike.
4. Empower the whole community – including small businesses, faith-based organizations, and residents – to mobilize and expand response capacity. Several mayors shared their success with community emergency response teams (CERT) who support initial response efforts, communications, and coordinate volunteers after a disaster occurs.
5. Coordinate and communicate continually. Disaster response is supported federally, managed by states, and executed locally. Coordination across city, county, state, federal, and private partners (e.g., utility companies) is essential for preparedness and response.

For elected officials, government staff, and community leaders, if you’re wondering how to incorporate these best practices into your local initiatives, below are a few questions to ask locally to spark discussion:

• When were our plans last updated?
• When did we last meet or coordinate with state and county emergency management officials?
• Do we have contracts in place for emergency response to address possible gaps? Does the contract cover identified needs from prior after-action reviews?

Supporting immediate and long-term recovery after a disaster:

1. After safety and immediate concerns are addressed, turn to restoring businesses and stabilizing the economy. Loss of business impacts local revenue streams, access to essential resources like food and supplies, and the livelihood of local families. Coordination with and support for small businesses, in particular, can jumpstart recovery by ensuring economic stability.
2. Evaluate funding streams already available for deployment. For example, several mayors shared how they repurposed their annual U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to quickly stand-up housing assistance and public service programs.
3. Ask for the resources that your community needs. Assistance is not automatic; it often needs to be requested. Communicate your needs and challenges with your state officials, Congressional delegation, and federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Army Corps, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), and HUD.
4. Engage citizens, stakeholders, and small businesses in recovery. One promising practice shared was citizen advisory groups that help inform local policies and programs. Another example shared was a small business advisory group and proactive training for restaurants and other vendors on food safety during power outages.

For elected officials, government staff, and community leaders, below are a few questions to ask locally to spark discussion:

• What existing funds do we have available? Can any be repurposed? Do we have any additional flexibilities to utilize federal funding after a disaster? For example, after a disaster, HUD’s CDBG funding allows for waivers to support additional eligible activities, reduce administrative burden, and remove caps on public services.
• If a disaster were to take place, who is advocating on our behalf for additional funds and support at the local, state, and federal levels?
• Do we have the expertise to be “one and done” with grant requirements, reimbursements, and task orders? If not, who can we call upon to ensure quick launch of programs and compliance?
• What can the jurisdiction do to streamline recovery? For example, are there opportunities to expedite permitting, streamline local land use requirements, or utilize public lands to facilitate housing rehabilitation.
• How do we strategically layer and combine funding to maximize every available dollar, ensure compliance, and prevent duplication of benefits?

Investing in lasting community resilience and sustainable infrastructure:

1. Think beyond federal funding. With the frequency and intensity of disasters, federal, state, local, philanthropic, and private funding are all needed. Mayors are creatively utilizing voter passed funding initiatives, public private partnerships, municipal bonds, and other funding mechanisms to invest in infrastructure, housing, and mitigation.
2. Save costs over time and increase economic stability through resilient housing construction and sustainable infrastructure. Countless examples were shared of how mitigation efforts reduced damage in subsequent disasters.
3. Enhance the natural environment with tree canopies, landscaping to reduce the risk of natural hazards, and green infrastructure to prevent future loss of life and property. Strategies such as the use of creeks and river tributaries to redirect flood waters, tree canopies to reduce extreme heat, and controlled burns to reduce fire risk offer nature-based approaches to mitigation.
4. Reduce risk and leverage investments by taking iterative actions to increase resilience, sustainability, and energy security. Private investors evaluate whether local governments take actions to prevent future damages, and investments in sustainability can be leveraged for additional investments.
5. Share the promise of a safer, more resilient future with your community. Communicate the vision for and continued progress on key public works and housing projects to build trust between local leaders and community members. Share how these projects are making the community more resilient for future events.

For elected officials, government staff, and community leaders, below are a few questions to ask your local team to spark discussion:

• Is your hazard mitigation plan current, and does it consider your most significant risks as they evolve? Does this plan prioritize key public works projects to address your identified risks?
• Are there efforts to ensure that government-funded projects include resilient construction methods to prevent damage and preserve the project long-term? For example, are properties in flood-prone areas built with federal, state, or local funds elevated to avoid damage from stormwater?
• What actions are you taking to build resiliency in public works and housing projects? How are you communicating these efforts with potential funders and constituents to ensure buy-in?
• Do you have a communications strategy aligned with public works projects to reflect progress and build trust with the public?
• Is the city leaving any potential funding for resilience, mitigation, or energy efficiency? Are you maximizing available funding through FEMA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, tax rebates, and other sources?