Monroe News: Peters introduces STORM Act to address lakeshore flooding

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters held a conference call with local media on Thursday to discuss the bipartisan legislation he and fellow senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) recently introduced to provide support for local communities along the Great Lakes that are facing rising water levels, coastal erosion, and flooding.

The full senate will soon consider the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act, a bill that would establish loans accessible by local governments to help mitigate the impact of damage caused by natural disasters. The legislation was co-sponsred by U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and James Lankford (R-OK), and was unanimously approved by the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“The Great Lakes are expected to see record-high water levels in the coming months, conditions that put homes, roads, business and quite frankly, whole towns at risk of flooding damage,” Peters said. “These are serious challenges that threaten the economy, the security and the wellbeing of communities across our state. Many of these communities simply don’t have the resources to combat this problem on their own."

A press release on Sen. Peters website says that studies have shown that resilience and mitigation spending, such as the bill the senator is proposing, saves taxpayers more than $6 for every dollar invested. The STORM Act would allow FEMA to help states establish revolving loan funds that could be used by local governments to carry out mitigation projects to reduce natural disaster risk.

“These loans will not only allow communities to repair the damage they have today, but allow them to plan ahead and safeguard against future damage in the years ahead,” Peters said. “Not only is it the right thing to do, but it’s simply common sense and a cost-effective solution as well.”