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Over the last five decades, Americans have steadily relocated to the coasts and the southern states, creating what looks like a big letter “U” on the population map of our country. While this has contributed to growth in these states, including Delaware, this development comes with challenges and opportunities for state and local governments, and some businesses, too.
For us, the challenge comes in the form of Mother Nature. According to the U.S. Chamber, “In 2024 alone, the U.S. experienced 27 separate billion-dollar disasters totaling $182.7 billion in damages. That marked the fifth consecutive year with 18 or more such events, underscoring a new normal for communities across the country.” The issue here is straightforward: more severe weather events create greater risk and potential expense in areas of higher concentrations and development densities.
On the other hand, the opportunity is for communities to invest in layers of resilience with risk-informed design that includes modern building codes, proper zoning, and hazard mapping. Some locations will need resilient power and water, transportation, and communications systems that will hold up when storms arrive.
Locations along our coastlines are very desirable—people want to be there, and that’s a wonderful thing. There is a lot of work to do to be prepared for when the worst comes, and we’ve taken many steps to be resilient. However, more needs to be done, and that comes at a cost for everyone. The “rebuild” after disaster strikes is ten times more expensive than the cost of doing things right the first time. Let’s do all we can to be best in class.
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