Sixty Two New Communities Take Proactive Approach to Disaster Through FEMA's Project Impact
Release Date: September 13, 2000
Release Number: HQ-00-117
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced Project Impact: Building Disaster Resistant Communities - a nationwide effort to make America disaster resistant, has added sixty two new communities. Since the 1997 inception of FEMA's Project Impact, there have been 185 communities working to save homes, lives and businesses through disaster prevention.
Project Impact's goal is to equip all communities in America with the knowledge and tools to reduce disaster damage. Communities in all 50 states and Puerto Rico were nominated by their states to become part of the Project Impact initiative, with the final communities ultimately selected by FEMA Director James Lee Witt. With the addition of these new communities, the number of localities participating in Project Impact is 247.
"I'm pleased to announce the expansion of FEMA's Project Impact efforts," Witt said. "This initiative has demonstrated that prevention works, and Project Impact will continue to help even more businesses and residents shift their focus from simply responding to disasters to taking actions in advance to stop the devastating property damage and loss of life."
FEMA, state and local governments work with Project Impact communities to support disaster prevention actions, reduce future disaster potential, and ensure a community's new buildings and growth help avoid the vicious disaster cycle of damage-rebuild-damage.
Last Modified: Monday, 29-Dec-2003 14:00:29