The Rising Tide of Billion-Dollar Disasters: Analyzing the Surge

November 19, 2023

Dissecting the boom in costly climate disasters

In the latest episode of the American Shoreline Podcast, hosts Peter Ravella and Tyler Buckingham welcome Mathew Sanders, a senior officer for Pew’s U.S. Conservation program, to discuss his illuminating article: "What’s Driving the Boom in Billion-Dollar Disasters? A Lot". This episode delves into the alarming increase in frequency and cost of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in the U.S., examining factors such as extreme weather, population migration, changes in land use, and ill-advised development. The discussion pivots around recent catastrophic events, including the devastating Maui wildfire and the record-breaking temperatures of 2023, providing a stark illustration of the challenges at hand. Sanders, with his deep expertise in state resilience policy, offers insightful analysis and potential solutions to these pressing issues. Tune in to understand how these disasters are reshaping our world and what can be done to mitigate their impact.

Show Transcription
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Peter Ravella & Tyler Buckingham

Peter and Tyler joined forces in 2015 and from the first meeting began discussing a project that would become Coastal News Today and the American Shoreline Podcast Network. At the time, Peter and Tyler were coastal consultants for Pete’s firm, PAR Consulting, LLC. In that role, they worked with coastal communities in Texas, Florida, and North Carolina, engaged in grant writing, coastal project development, shoreline erosion and land use planning, permitting, and financial planning for communities undertaking big beach restoration projects. Between and among their consulting tasks, they kept talking and kept building the idea of CNT & ASPN. In almost every arena they worked, public engagement played a central role. They spent thousands of hours talking with coastal stakeholders, like business owners, hotel operators, condo managers, watermen, property owners, enviros, surfers, and fishermen. They dived deep into the value, meaning, and responsibility for the American shoreline, segment-by-segment. Common threads emerged, themes were revealed, differences uncovered. There was a big conversation going on along the American shoreline! But, no place to have it. That's where CNT and ASPN were born.