Hurricane Ian is proof: The US needs a national disaster safety board

Hurricane Ian is one of the most devastating disasters in Florida’s history—a state with a long history of tragedy. For those millions affected by disasters across America every year it is an increasingly common story.

For now, the focus after Ian is on the grim minute-by-minute estimations. At least 140 people are dead and damage costs will reach $75 billion (or more). But, the consequences will last much longer than this initial tally, it will shape the future of Florida. All this while Puerto Rico still has thousands of customers without power weeks since Hurricane Fiona made landfall. In the next decade we will see the long-term impact of flooding on infrastructure, the ever-present toxic spills present in storm surge events, the health impacts of storms, including PTSD, and major impacts on wildlife, on tourism, on fragile local economies, and the list goes on. 

The nation we have built is more vulnerable than ever to disaster, but does it have to be this way?