Flood is not a terrorist organization, a rival economic superpower or a shady network of hackers – things that we usually think of as national security threats. It is a natural disaster, which has the power to kill thousands of American citizens and destroy the country’s economy through the destruction of major metropolitan areas.
Since the beginning of the time, the floods engraved the valleys, shaped the beaches and increased human life. They remain one of the most tireless and transformative forces of nature and this is the time that we take that danger seriously, especially with the increasing frequency and severity of storms in recent years.
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, there are floods No.1 Natural Disaster in United StatesSenate Joint Economic Committee estimates that Flood costs US economy between $ 179.8 and $ 496 billion each year – More than 1 percent of the country’s GDP.
Only a few need to see recent history Expensive natural disasters in American history. Most of them are due to floods, especially by storms:
- Hurricane Katrina (2005): Cost $ 201.3 billion; 1,833 lost life
- Hurricane Harvey (2017): Cost: $ 160 billion; 89 Lives Lost
- Hurricane Ian (2022): Cost: $ 119.6 billion; 152 lost life
- Hurricane Maria (2017): Cost: $ 115.2 billion; 2,981 lost life
- Superstorm Sandy (2012): Cost: $ 88.5 billion; 159 Lives Lost
Especially the disturbing thing is that most of these disasters have occurred since the turn of the century.
Unfortunately, the flood is engulfed in the political tug-off-wind. All times, our country’s important infrastructure and efforts to protect the economic viability of our many major metropolitan areas which are prone to floods are at risk.
Even though the reason for the increase in frequency and severity of storms that causes floods, practically without being vision, destruction of its fatal force.
Modern flood mitigation systems, such as flood barriers, are professional engineers and are tested to withstand flood forces. Portable flood barriers can be rapidly deployed to protect the major points of admission to a feature. They can also be inactive, meaning that they are automatically deployed as flood -water approaches without the need for human intervention or power.
These systems are being deployed in major medical centers, airports, schools and universities, businesses and even river cities and coastal cities. They have proved effective, save millions of dollars in loss and keep businesses and significant infrastructure in operation during and later during floods.
As National building construction institutePublic sector investment in mitigation since 1995 gives the country a cost of $ 27 billion, but will eventually save $ 160 billion, which will save $ 6 for each $ 1.
We have a means of protecting our country’s economic centers, important infrastructure and military bases, but there is no federal call for action to address the problem in a systemic way.
Recognition of floods as a national security threat will help in the motion solid plan to help protect our country’s important defense assets-for example, to develop a multi-year plan to protect our military bases from floods using federal financing for that purpose.
As a nation, we cannot afford to continue the practice of reconstruction of significant infrastructure, using federal funds, with very little relations for future floods. This has emphasized us in a continuous cycle of disastrous losses and multimilian-dollars taxpayer-funded recovery. The question is not whether our nation can invest in flood mitigation, whether we cannot give priority to flood mitigation.
The first step is to identify floods as a national security threat. Without such federal calls for action, we are in luck to continue the economy-dislike disaster and the current cycle of recovery in which our nation is currently entangled.
Tom is the President and CEO of Little Flofprofing.com And a certified floodplane manager.
