A Government Accountability Office report found that installations have limited access to information regarding the true cost of natural disasters. Surveying the damage from 10 years of natural disasters at 12 installations, the report found that resilience planning lacked necessary data and funding.
Extreme weather and natural disasters cost over $15 billion in damages for installations over the past decade, but those are likely underestimated due to the long-term costs that were not monitored. The report was required as a provision by the 2024 NDAA.
The report recommended installations increase data collection efforts on the total costs of natural disasters and that each branch provide guidance on how an installation should recover from a disaster.
Air Force photo by Zachary Nordheim
