The Rockefeller Foundation Statement on the Flooding in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky
New York, NY, May 5, 2010 - We have all been shocked over the past few days by the images from recent storms in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky of city streets turning into rivers, landmarks under water, thousands without power and multiple deaths. These tragedies are another reminder that our cities are not prepared for storms of this magnitude and our communities and infrastructure are paying a significant cost.
As weather patterns become increasingly unpredictable, it is critical that state and local leaders create plans to help them adapt to the impact of weather events to ensure the protection of their citizens as well as vital and historic infrastructure. The creation of local adaptation plans will allow authorities to look forward and determine if their neighborhoods are threatened, how to protect them and at what cost. This would enable cities to decide if it is worthwhile to invest money up front in measures ranging from improved drainage to structural improvements to protect infrastructure and safeguard a community’s general welfare and financial stability.
Just last year, the Rockefeller Foundation and McKinsey & Company developed a simple and replicable approach that allows local leaders to assess the types of measures that could further protect their communities, their cost, and how much that upfront cost can ultimately save in the event of a severe weather-related event. While local authorities have done absolutely everything they could to help their communities get through this current situation, there is no doubt that small investments today in protective measures could one day save homes, money and potentially lives.
See the study at: http://bit.ly/aUDYi5
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For Media inquiries please contact:
Laura Gordon: 212-852-8216 or lgordon@rockfound.org
- Rockefeller Foundation Statement on the Flooding in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky
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