Do Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Pay Off? An Empirical Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness.
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Abstract
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grants have been recognized as an effective way to reduce natural disaster losses. However, most mitigation studies assess the cost-effectiveness of such funding based on projected losses. This study empirically assesses the extent to which grant funding reduced counties’ natural hazard induced deaths, injuries, and damages from 2005-2020 using the Spatial Hazard Events and Losses database and FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Projects database. Results from a distributed lag model indicate that HMA grants reduced disaster losses in excess of their cost over a 15 year period.
Recommended citation: Chaudhry H, Hines R, Langford WS, Grandage AJ, Waddell M. Do Federal Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants Pay Off? An Empirical Analysis of Cost-Effectiveness. Available Upon Request.