New reports and data from the PewTrusts:

Data Highlight State-by-State Benefits of Federal Natural Disaster Mitigation Grants
Returns on investment vary across jurisdictions and hazard type

While disaster mitigation activities—such as elevating buildings or earthquake retrofits—save $6 on average per dollar spent in recovery costs, that amount varies by state and type of disaster, according to a new analysis released today from The Pew Charitable Trusts. Using data from the National Institute of Building Sciences, Pew found that states that stand to benefit the most from mitigation are: Kansas (which would save $6.81 per dollar spent on mitigation), Missouri ($6.72), New Jersey ($6.67), Delaware ($6.65), New Hampshire ($6.62), and Arizona ($6.60).

Pew’s analysis also broke down mitigation savings by type of disaster: floods, high winds, earthquakes, and wildfires. See your state’s data for mitigation savings overall, and by type of disaster: https://pew.org/2XHxxS6

This information offers helpful context to policymakers as they work to manage the increasing cost of natural disasters. Please let me know if you have any questions or if you’d like to speak with our policy team about this research. As always, you are welcome to republish our graphics or screenshots from our website with attribution to The Pew Charitable Trusts. I’d also encourage you to link through to our analysis at: https://pew.org/2XHxxS6