The Epicenter editors recently interviewed Daniel Zarrilli, former Chief Resilience Officer for New York City and current Chief Climate & Sustainability Officer at Columbia University, about his work during the post-Hurricane Sandy recovery effort.
When disaster strikes, the question is not whether we will rebuild, but how. The problem is that it costs more to rebuild a home to disaster-resilient standards. We need new flexible and dedicated financing products that make it easier for homeowners to make critical resilience investments.
At the recent Milken Global Conference, rebuilding LA was top of mind. Partnership, system-level engagement, and local leadership were key themes. And the insurance sector has a critical opportunity to reframe its role in disaster preparedness and society at large.
California has high standards for wildfire, but even with policy changes, adoption is slow. The LA Fires will likely drive up rent prices, fueling displacement in the region. The fires are straining an already imbalanced CA insurance market.
5 Early Insights from Hurricane Helene. Climate change exacerbated the impacts of Helene. Hurricanes are no longer just a coastal threat. And utilities face growing recovery costs alongside pressure to build more resilient grid systems.
By rebuilding the same way we’ve done in the past, we’re ensuring the trend will continue: a costly and frequent cycle of destruction and reconstruction that can threaten existing assets and multiply financial losses across every sector.
