President Trump Signs Rep. Craig’s Bipartisan Disaster Mitigation Legislation into Law

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump signed into law a bipartisan disaster mitigation bill introduced by U.S. Representatives Angie Craig (D-MN) and Rodney Davis (R-IL) to help communities across the country prepare for and rebuild from extreme weather events. The Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act – the Senate counterpart to Craig and Davis' Resilience Revolving Loan Fund Act introduced in July of 2019 – will create a low-interest loan program for Minnesota and other states to fund mitigation projects that reduce the risks and costs of natural disasters. Craig has now had four bills signed into law in her first term in Congress – the most of any member of the Minnesota delegation – Republican or Democrat.

"In recent years, cities and towns in the Second District have experienced some of the most devastating flood seasons in recent memory – threatening Minnesotans' homes, doing severe damage to public property and costing our local communities millions of dollars in recovery efforts," said Rep. Craig. "I am incredibly proud that our bill has been signed into law by the President. We must now ensure this program is fully funded so we can ensure cities like Red Wing, Jordan and Hastings can invest in resilient infrastructure that will not only protect their communities, but also save countless taxpayer dollars in the years to come."

The 2019 January-May period was the wettest on record for the U.S., causing communities along the Mississippi River to incur severe costs in damages. The widespread flooding damaged homes, temporarily displaced families and delayed farmers' planting season. In response, local mayors and community leaders expressed the need for proactive investment in flood plain mapping, levees, water treatment plants, port protection and other critical infrastructure as the severity of natural disasters increases. The STORM Act will provide funding for those and other programs – saving city and county governments millions of dollars over time.

Loans will be available for projects that minimize the costs and risks associated not only with flooding, but with wildfires, earthquakes, and other events deemed catastrophic by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The program will reduce the financial burden of recovery on local governments and allow communities to invest in resilient infrastructure that can withstand severe weather events and natural disasters.

Currently, only one FEMA program provides communities with resources to implement proactive efforts to prevent future damage and that program is restrictive in its eligible activities. The new revolving loan fund would allow states to bring low-interest loans to counties and cities for disaster mitigation projects of varying types that creates the flexibility local governments need to respond to mounting disaster impacts. Repayment of the loans would fund subsequent projects. The legislation is modeled, in part, after the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) program, a successful federal-state partnership to help ensure safe drinking water in the United States.

The bill has received strong support from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Mississippi Rivers Cities and Towns Initiative and several other groups.