Most states don’t comprehensively track their disaster spending. But with costs rising, the federal government is looking to manage spending in ways that could affect the federal-state partnership in disaster assistance.
Research from The Pew Charitable Trusts examines state expenditures across all phases of natural disaster, identifies challenges states face collecting comprehensive data and finds that spending varies across states. These differences, including how states invest in mitigation activities, are likely to affect the federal proposals aimed at addressing rising costs.
To better manage spending on future disasters, Pew recommends state and federal policymakers prioritize and improve data collection.
– Anne Stauffer and Colin Foard, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Fiscal Federalism Initiative