Read time: 5 minutes

The International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, held on October 13th, was established by the United Nations to raise awareness about disaster resilience. The theme for this year focuses on the role of education in protecting and empowering future generations for a disaster-free future.

Recent climate disaster Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 hurricane that ravaged a huge region of the US, led to the death of over 200 people and counting, wiping out entire towns and livelihoods along its path. Some of the hardest hit places like Chimney Rock and Asheville, North Carolina, were very far inland and nowhere near any region we typically associate with being hit by a hurricane. 

Satellite image of Hurricane Helene in the Gulf of Mexico. Image credit: NOAA

This devastating disaster is a reminder that some of these “natural” phenomenons aren’t so natural anymore – they are fueled by human induced climate change. Jane Madgwick, previous CEO of Wetlands International, sums it up well, saying that “disasters and disaster risk are rising, with ninety percent of those disasters [being] water-related. It’s no accident that such disasters are rising as wetlands are degraded.” 

Luckily, understanding these facts and what solutions are available will help safeguard us from future disasters. To protect and empower future generations for a disaster free future, we must educate them and ourselves on how and why we must increase our disaster resilience and build our communities back better. As Madgwick states, “it’s actually in our hands how much of a disaster it is.” 

Here are some critical, key takeaways from climate disaster Hurricane Helene. 

1. Climate disasters are extremely costly to the economy, but most importantly, to communities. 

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports that in 2023, the US saw 28 climate and weather related disasters totaling nearly $92.9 billion dollars in damage. From hurricanes to flooding to drought, these disasters are extremely costly and are only projected to increase as the planet warms. 

Image credit: NOAA

For example, according to CBS News, the city of Asheville saw nearly three months’ worth of rain in less than three days—a historic, 1 in 1,000-year event that contributed to the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Helene. With these kinds of historic events on track to become the new normal, the economic cost of climate disaster damage must be a top priority for policy makers. 

Increasing disaster resilience means we must recognize how costly disasters truly are (billions of dollars a year), and how they directly undermine the economy. Dam failures, energy infrastructure damage, and roads, businesses, and homes being washed away are a direct threat to economic stability, growth and resiliency.

Global supply chains are also particularly vulnerable. The US economy heavily relies on its ability to import and export goods from all over the world. But these trade networks rely on long distances and often outdated infrastructure that remains at risk of being damaged or destroyed by climate disasters, making them vulnerable to collapse. 

Above all, having your entire home and community swept away in a catastrophic flood is the reality for hundreds of people in the wake of Hurricane Helene, and now with Hurricane Milton on its heels, more people and communities will be at extreme risk.

Asheville was once considered a “climate haven,” but the recent damage caused by Hurricane Helene is proof that “no community is a climate refuge, and that there is no “away” on a changed planet,” Sierra Club’s Jessica Wakeman writes.  

Disaster impacts extend well beyond economic priorities—they impact real people and real communities. The loss of families, friends, spouses, pets, livestock, and crops provide just a snapshot of the true community cost of climate disasters. 

2. Protecting wetlands can protect communities from climate disasters and reduce disaster risk. 

Wetlands, both inland and coastal, protect communities from climate disasters like hurricanes and flooding by acting as natural buffers, providing a place for water storage. In wetlands like swamps, marshes, bogs, and mangroves, vegetation is a key factor in trapping water and slowing it down, mitigating storm surges and flood risk. Just one acre of wetland can hold about a million and a half gallons of water – the equivalent of roughly 38,000 bathtubs full of water. Wetlands also trap and filter pollutants, protecting communities from contaminated floodwater. 

Many cities and towns were built during a time when wetlands were viewed as unnecessary and not in need of protection, and as a result, thousands of communities now sit on or near low lying, flood prone areas like coasts and rivers, creating an increased disaster risk for communities built in these flood prone regions.

Aerial view of the west side of Indianapolis, Indiana, which was built along the floodplain of the White River. Image credit: The Library of Congress

Protecting wetlands in these low-lying areas to allow for floodwater storage is key to saving lives and reducing damage. Policy makers, builders, and city planners must be aware of the role wetlands play in protecting communities from climate disasters, especially those related to flooding. 

Ms. Martha Rojas-Urrego, Secretary General of the International Community’s Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, explains that “well-managed wetlands make communities resilient in the event of extreme weather and help to minimize the damage from these hazards. Coastal wetlands such as mangroves protect against flooding and serve as buffers against saltwater intrusion and erosion. Inland wetlands such as floodplains, lakes and peatlands absorb and store excess rainfall, which reduces flooding as well as delaying the onset of droughts by storing water.” 

Building back better means ensuring that instead of building on flood prone areas, we are protecting them as natural buffers to sustain a habitable planet and ensure the survival of current and future generations. 

How you can help

  • Advocate for wetland protection and its flood reduction benefits at government hearings, in public, and to your friends and family.
  • Protect wetlands on your property and avoid building on them. 
  • Donate to the victims of the recent hurricanes.