Disaster Preparation and Relief

The federal government supports private efforts to prepare for disasters and, in the wake of disasters, often provides funds for emergency response and economic recovery. CBO analyzes federal policies in this area.

Report
Expected Costs of Damage From Hurricane Winds and Storm-Related Flooding
April 10, 2019
Expected annual economic losses from most types of damage caused by hurricane winds and storm-related flooding total $54 billion—$34 billion in losses to households, $9 billion to commercial businesses, and $12 billion to the public sector.
Report
Funding for International Affairs Activities, Within and Outside Agencies’ Base Budgets
December 10, 2018
The share of international affairs funding that was provided outside of agencies’ base budget for ongoing activities—that is, “nonbase” funding—increased markedly from 2014 to 2017, mostly for overseas contingency operations.
Report
Funding for Overseas Contingency Operations and Its Impact on Defense Spending
October 23, 2018
CBO analyzes how the Defense Department’s (DoD’s) funding for military conflicts has changed over time and how the separate budgetary treatment of that funding affects perceptions of DoD’s spending and the anticipated costs of DoD’s plans.
Report
The National Flood Insurance Program: Financial Soundness and Affordability
September 1, 2017
CBO finds that premiums collected by the National Flood Insurance Program for policies in effect in August 2016 fell short of the program’s expected costs by $1.4 billion, mainly because of shortfalls in coastal counties.
Report
Potential Increases in Hurricane Damage in the United States: Implications for the Federal Budget
June 2, 2016
How much will hurricane damage increase in coming years because of climate change and coastal development? This report examines the implications for the federal budget and three approaches for decreasing the pressure for federal spending.