SOUTHEAST & CARIBBEAN DISASTER RESILIENCE PARTNERSHIP
ABOUT US
The Southeast coastal region is vulnerable to a variety of disasters that can impact the vitality and long-term viability of its coastal communities. Planning and building capacity for disaster recovery provides an opportunity to build resilience to future hurricanes, flooding, and other hazards.
DISASTERS
The impact of natural disasters in the United States and its Caribbean territories is rising.
Number of billion dollar* disasters
* Adjusted for inflation. Source: NCDC/NOAA
THE SOUTHEAST & CARIBBEAN DISASTER RESILIENCE PARTNERSHIP
The Southeast & Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership (SCDRP) is an affiliation of public, private, and non-profit organizations who share their experience, expertise, and resources with one another. Through initial funding from NOAA Office of Coastal Management and in-kind support of many agencies and firms, SCDRP offers a platform for regional collaboration and learning. In addition, we have funded on-the-ground training, planning, and research in Southeastern states and territories. We welcome you to join our efforts.
Regional Relationships
SCDRP uses a variety of formats to maintain a disaster recovery community of practice across the Southeast and in the Caribbean territories. We hold regular calls and use a listserv to share resources. We also get together once a year to discuss critical topics face-to-face and generate networking opportunities. All of our events and resources are open to anyone who wishes to join.
Examples of our efforts
SCDRP has held workshops with our partners in Charleston, Raleigh, St. Petersburg, Savannah, and Jacksonville. At our workshops, we host an interactively and lively agenda. We encourage all speakers and audience members to consider themselves active participants. Click here to learn more about our annual workshops!
STRENGTHENING REGIONAL CAPACITY
Because the Southeast and Caribbean are vulnerable to many of the same hazards like coastal storms, we can learn a lot from one another. SCDRP brings together professionals engaged in variety of disaster recovery capacities from across the Southeast to share best practices and innovate for a more resilient future. The Business Leadership Civic Center, an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce, suggests a regional approach to disaster recovery planning provides a better platform for communication and leveraging of resources to build resiliency.
DISASTER RESILIENCE & RECOVERY PLANNING
Communities can plan for disaster resilience and recovery before or after a disaster strikes. At SCDRP, we particularly support pro-active pre-disaster recovery planning. Resilience and recovery planning builds knowledge and capacity specific to recovery among a wide net of community leaders, businesses, and residents. Recovery plans support effective use of post-disaster funding and help communities get back on their feet quickly – reducing the cost of an extended, expensive rebuilding process.
Why Plan for Recovery?
Recovery planning also allows communities to pre-determine priorities for recovery, like which infrastructure to repair first or whether to incorporate resilience measures into rebuilding, which reduces the number of difficult decisions to be made in the aftermath of a disaster.
Examples of Our Work
SCDRP funded the development of disaster recovery and redevelopment plans in Brunswick/Glynn County and Brantley County, Georgia. These plans identify critical hazards and long-term stressors that pose risks for communities. They also determine the key organizations and agencies that should be at the table for long-term recovery.
BUSINESSES & ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
Not only are coastal businesses vulnerable to storms and flooding, they play an important role in the recovery and redevelopment of communities after disasters. The Southeast & Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership promotes business continuity training and the engagement of the private sector in coastal disaster resilience and recovery planning.
Brad Dean,
Former CEO
Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce
“The value of the Southeast Disaster Resilience Partnership is that it allows us to copy the good work of others. We learned so much from our colleagues who had been through a worst-case disaster scenario… After Hurricane Matthew, a local business called us to say that initially she thought she would not reopen but the fact that she had updates from us and attended our seminars gave her at least a semblance of a plan that she could come back. This can’t be stated enough: there is a window of opportunity for businesses to rebound and recover. We have to educate our businesses.”
The Economy during Recovery
Businesses are vulnerable to physical and economic damages caused by natural disasters. For example, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce estimates that a 20% decrease in hotel occupancy caused by a storm event could translate into an economic loss of over $7 million per day. Another study showed that a year after Superstorm Sandy, 39% of small businesses were operating at a loss and 86% of firms still needed recovery-related financing.
Our Leadership
Through research and outreach, the Southeast & Caribbean Disaster Resilience Partnership is identifying and communicating strategies for business involvement in disaster recovery planning and public-private partnerships in disaster recovery. SCDRP also supports resilience seminars for businesses to prepare themselves for a possible disaster.
WHO WE ARE
The Partnership is comprised of a wide variety of organizations and individuals, from government to businesses to nonprofits. Some work in disaster-specific fields, while others work in areas that overlap with recovery issues. The SCDRP is led by an Advisory Committee and staffed by the Director and a Research and Program Assistant.
SCDRP ADVISORY BOARD
Lindy Betzhold, NOAA Office for Coastal Management
Duane DeFreese, Ph.D., Indian River Lagoon Council
Elizabeth Fly, The Nature Conservancy
Debra Hernandez, SECOORA
Jennifer Kline, Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources
Amanda Martin, Ph.D. NC Office of Recovery & Resiliency
James Murley, Miami-Dade, Office of Resilience
Geno Olmi, NOAA, SE & Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team
Jon Philipsborn, Independent Climate Adaptation Advisor
Gavin Smith, Ph.D,, AICP, NC State University
Adam Stein, NOAA Ocean & Coastal Management
JOIN US
Want to make the Southeast more resilient? We welcome interested individuals and organizations into the Partnership. There are no applications, fees, or commitments for participating; however also ways to become an official member. Please click here for more info on membership.
Our network includes federal, state and local governments, businesses, chambers of commerce, industry organizations, economic developers, and liaisons to the private sector, and nonprofits. Please contact us if you are interested in getting involved or simply staying up to date on our work.