Kilmer Secures Provisions to Help Coastal Communities Prepare for Severe Weather
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee passed a bill that includes provisions authored by Representative Derek Kilmer (D-WA) that direct the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to take additional steps to help coastal communities prepare for severe weather events. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has reported that sea levels have risen every year since 1992. Residents and tribes on the Olympic Peninsula increasingly face the threat of rising sea levels and severe storms that endanger public safety.
The report accompanying the 2016 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill includes language encouraging FEMA to look at utilizing Pre-Disaster Mitigation Fund investments for coastal resiliency efforts in places like Grays Harbor, Washington state. Kilmer also authored a provision calling on FEMA to evaluate how the agency awards Individual Assistance to see if there are any discrepancies between Western and Eastern states. In the wake of emergencies Individual Assistance is utilized to help people in impacted communities’ access housing and other essential items.
“Coastal resiliency is a critical area of public safety that requires action,” said Kilmer. “Increasingly severe storms are triggering more persistent and damaging floods that affect folks living in Grays Harbor and other coastal communities. Our federal agencies need to make sure we have the right safeguards in place so that when storms hit we have the right resources to help protect communities and save lives.”
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