Lessons Learned from Recent Disasters Help Shape Stronger and Safer Communities

FEMA Office of Resilience visits communities affected by hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton to learn more about how communities can become more resilient.

A few days into the new year, a Major Disaster Declaration was declared for California wildfires and straight-line winds. Emergency responders are currently working around the clock to battle sprawling wildfires spread around the Los Angeles area. As the situation continues to unfold, we reflect on lessons learned from the 2024 disasters to inform the rebuilding that lies ahead. 

Building codes – In Florida, our team witnessed how modern building codes help communities better withstand the impacts of disasters. In the neighborhood of Apollo Beach, a homeowner chose to build their home to the highest building code standards available. 

During Hurricane Milton, Chris explained that because their home was elevated just a couple of feet above ground level, everyone on their block had a safe haven to go to as the water levels rose ahead of and after the storm. For a period of days after landfall, he described how his home maintained power and air conditioning, which was particularly important for the elderly and at-risk neighbors who had temporarily relocated to this shining house on a hill.  Small but mighty changes—such as raising critical utilities off the ground and placing garage power outlets at shoulder height instead of knee level—all added up, as it did not for just this homeowner but for their whole block. 

There are numerous FEMA and other federal funding opportunities for state, local, Tribal Nation and territorial governments that aid in activities about building codes. Visit Building Code Funding Opportunities to learn more.

Teamwork to achieve thoughtful relocation – In western North Carolina, flooding from Hurricane Helene required swift action by members of the Collettsville Fire Department in Caldwell County. Their fire chief said that the volunteer firefighters were able to respond because their firehouse had been relocated out of a riverine flood area in 2006. The Collettsville Fire Department navigated Hurricane Helene efficiently and safely, thanks to leveraging funding from the State of North Carolina and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s low interest rural loans. As a result, their first responders were able to support their community’s needs better. Those actions, funded by multiple agencies and levels of government but initiated by local leaders, exemplify the benefits of teamwork across agencies to achieve local visions of improved resilience.

Cross-sector debris removal limited imminent flooding from back-to-back storms – In Georgia, others on our team saw the successive impacts of hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton, followed by additional flooding events caused by non-named storms, presented a unique challenge to stormwater managers across the state. Local emergency managers partnered with debris removal vendors and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to speed up debris removal after each event to prevent existing storm debris from clogging drainage paths and causing worse flooding for the next event.

As we witnessed in Florida, North Carolina and Georgia, communities can improve their resilience through intentional decisions and choices. FEMA will continue to draw on these lessons to help our communities recover from all hazards in a way that will make them more resilient for the future.