A coalition of environmental, faith, and economic development groups is calling for the federal government to make it easier to access disaster relief after flooding.
Reimagine Appalachia is releasing policy recommendations it says would benefit communities with a history of fossil fuel extraction across Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky.
The mountainous terrain and siting of towns in valleys and along rivers leaves many in the region vulnerable to flash flooding, which is expected to become more likely with climate change.
Since 2013, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has given Pennsylvania more than $375 million in relief for severe storms and flooding.
Many events don’t rise to the level of a federal disaster, so the annual cost of damage is much higher. The science communication group Climate Central estimates Pennsylvania lost $2.8 billion to flood-related damage in 2020.
“The scale of loss from these events has taken its toll on residents here, while the magnitude of disasters continues to strain resources,” said Brendan Muckian Bates with the Appalachian Citizens Law Center, a member of the coalition.
Reimagine Appalachia says the federal government needs to lower barriers such as matching funds requirements, so aid can flow faster and more easily to those affected.
The policy consists of four pillars: increasing local ability to respond to disasters, easing financial burdens for low-income families, improving flood maps, and investing in nature-based flood solutions.
Mary Ellen Ramage, borough manager of Etna, near Pittsburgh, said 400 homes in the small borough flooded in 2004 from the remnants of Hurricane Ivan.
But, she said, the federal government can only afford to buy out three homes per year.
“Taking three homes out a year is not going to do anything to stop flooding in our community. That whole process has to be reevaluated and more money [could go] to flood proofing,” Ramage said.
The coalition recommends planning for buyouts before a disaster hits and prioritizing buyouts by financial need.
It also recommends improving disclosures around past floods when selling a home, so low-income families don’t buy a house that is no longer eligible for aid in future disasters.