Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long wants to revamp the way federal disaster funds are distributed, putting a greater emphasis on building more-resilient structures and communities before disasters strike, Long told a House panel reviewing federal response to the recent slate of disasters.
"We have a long way to go to truly build a resilient nation," Long told the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Nov. 2. Long's comments were welcomed by Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), who told Long that he and ranking member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) both want to see similar changes to the agency and the way disaster relief funds are used. Shuster said a recent study found that every $1 spent on disaster mitigation saves $7 in disaster relief. Previous studies have shown a 1-to-4 correlation.