Beyond the Payoff: How Investments in Resilience and Disaster Preparedness Protect Communities

More disasters, higher costs, uneven community preparedness In 2024 alone, the U.S. experienced 27 separate billion-dollar disasters, totaling $182.7 billion in damages. That marked the fifth consecutive year with 18 or more such events, underscoring a new normal for communities across the country.

Storms are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more expensive. While disasters are inevitable, their toll on people, property, and the economy is not. Strategic investments in resilience can reduce disruption, speed recovery, and protect lives and livelihoods.

In June 2024, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation released The Preparedness Payoff: The Economic Benefits of Investing in Climate Resilience, which found that every $1 invested in disaster preparedness saves $13 in future losses. This follow-up report, Beyond the Payoff, builds on that research and shows that underinvestment today can cost communities even more tomorrow—up to $33 in lost future economic activity for every dollar not spent before a disaster strikes.

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