Partnering with leading experts to enhance resilience and mitigation strategies against climate impacts. The Genesis of our model came from a notable program Jane and George from our team developed with James Lee Witt while they all worked at FEMA. 

In the late 1990s, Project Impact: Building Disaster-Resistant Communities represented a landmark shift in American emergency management. Launched in 1997 by then-FEMA Director James Lee Witt under the Clinton Administration, it was the first major national initiative to prioritize pre-disaster mitigation over reactive recovery. 

The Historical Context: Moving Beyond "Mop-Up"

Before Project Impact, FEMA was often viewed as the "check-writing agency" that arrived only after a disaster to help clean up. Following a series of costly disasters in the early 90s (such as Hurricane Andrew and the Great Flood of 1993), Director Witt sought to "break the cycle of disaster-rebuild-disaster." Project Impact was built on the philosophy that for every $1 spent on prevention, at least $2 to $4 (back in the day) could be saved in future repair costs. 

Core Principles of Project Impact

The program was designed around four key pillars that aimed to empower local governments rather than dictate from Washington: 

1. Public-Private Partnerships: It encouraged local governments to recruit

businesses, non-profits, and civic groups to share the cost and responsibility of safety. 

2. Risk Assessment: Communities were tasked with identifying their specific vulnerabilties - whether earthquake, flood, or wind - rather than using a "one size fits all" approach.

3. Prioritization: Local leaders which mitigation projects were most urgent (e.g., retrofitting a school vs. clearing a drainage canal).

4. Communication: A heavy emphasis was placed on public awareness campaigns to ensure citizens understood the value of individual mitigation, like installing storm shutters.

Success and Growth

The program started with seven pilot communities and exploded in popularity, eventually involving nearly 250 communities and over 1,000 business partners (including companies like Home Depot and State Farm).

A notable success occurred in 2001 when a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Seattle. The city had used Project Impact funds to retrofit schools and bridges; as a result, the damage was significantly less severe thatn predicted, and no students were injured by falling debris in retrofitted buildings.