National Association of Counties Launches Disaster Reform Task Force

WASHINGTON – The National Association of Counties (NACo) today announced the formation of the Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, a presidentially appointed group of 28 county leaders tasked with modernizing federal disaster policies, strengthening intergovernmental partnerships geared towards disaster resiliency and enhancing local disaster mitigation, response and recovery capacities. 

When disasters strike, county officials and emergency responders play a critical role in the immediate response as well as in long-term recovery efforts. Given the robust county role in everything from emergency response, to transportation and infrastructure, to housing, counties occupy a central role that offers unique insight into issues of disaster management and resiliency. 

“Every community in our country understands the fierce urgency of protecting our communities and building our resiliency to disasters,” said NACo President James Gore. “Having battled through mega fires, floods and droughts here in my own backyard, I know that tasking this diverse group of leaders to work quickly and thoughtfully towards a set of recommended actions will enable counties to drastically improve our community, county and nationwide resilience.” 

Over the past four decades, the U.S. has faced 387 natural disasters with damages at our exceeding $1 billion. These billion-dollar disasters have collectively cost the U.S. economy more than $2.74 trillion and claimed the lives of 16,434 people – losses felt powerfully at the local level. In 2023, nearly one-third of all counties experienced at least one federally declared disaster. 

“As a former Houston City Councilmember, Harris County Sheriff and now County Commissioner, I have dealt with hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ike, and Harvey; as well as petrochemical plant explosions, extreme heat, extreme cold and more, but it always seems like there is something new to face, and as local government leaders, we are always on the front line,” said Task Force Co-Chair and Harris County, Texas Commissioner Adrian Garcia. “The Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force is an opportunity for those of us on the front line in many different roles to learn from each other and use our different perspectives to build solutions so we are all better prepared to serve our residents when the disaster we didn’t see coming now hits.” 

With an eye towards working expeditiously the Task Force will build on existing recommendations emerging out of a set of roundtable events hosted by NACo from 2022-2024 and supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts. These intergovernmental roundtables identified priority challenges in achieving disaster resilience, discussed building local capacity for disaster resilient communities, and explored approaches for funding and implementing solutions to social and economic risks in under resourced and underrepresented communities. Together, the roundtable findings provide an initial roadmap to guide the Task Force’s work. 

“County leaders and our intergovernmental partners have the knowledge, experience and information at our fingertips to make policy recommendations and drive towards best practices for disaster mitigation, response and recovery,” said Task Force Co-Chair and Jefferson Parish, La. President Cynthia Lee Sheng. “We look forward to rolling up our sleeves and bringing all these pieces together in service of strengthening intergovernmental partnerships and supporting our communities.” 

For more information about the Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, click here.