FEMA’s Community Disaster Resilience Zones focuses aid for disaster-prone regions

While climate change broadly impacts all communities across the United States, some areas are more prone to environmental devastation than others. In correlation, the resilience measures that need to be undertaken are more extreme. Those regions are now eligible for increased federal support following the designation of 483 census as Community Disaster Resilience Zones by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The zones, created via the Community Disaster Resilience Zones Act of 2022, will be used to manage financial and technical assistance for resilience projects, according to a statement about the initiative.

“These designations will help ensure that the most at-risk communities are able to build resilience against natural hazards and extreme weather events, which are becoming increasingly intense and frequent due to climate change,” said Deanne Criswell administrator of FEMA. “This aligns with Congress’ direction and other FEMA initiatives to get federal support and resources to the communities that need them most.”

The designations cover all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each region can be viewed via an interactive map on FEMA’s website. More Community Disaster Resilience Zone designations, including tribal lands and territories, are expected to be announced later in the fall.

Communities were selected based on criteria that includes socioeconomic status, household characteristics, and transportation data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Social Vulnerability Index.

The initiative aims to increase resilience efforts and preventative measures designed to address underserved communities most at risk to natural hazards, according to the statement.

Designated zones will have prioritized access to federal funding for resilience and mitigation projects. This fall, for example, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will make awards for the Climate-Smart Communities Initiative program funded by the Inflation Reduction Act to accelerate the pace and reduce the cost of climate resilience-building for communities across the United States. The initiative’s priority is to assist communities that are at the highest risk to climate impacts and have the most need for assistance—such as those included in FEMA-identified Community Disaster Resilience Zones.