STATELINE
By: Elaine S. Povich
September 20, 2021
Pointing to stark pictures of inundated buildings and washed-out cars from Hurricane Ida, state and city officials are pressing Congress to pass a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. At least 67 people died across eight states, communities were plunged into darkness for weeks while repairs to the electrical grid plodded along, and calls for help went unanswered because of lack of internet access. The storm prompted demands for more flood mitigation and enhanced building construction to help communities better withstand storms and prevent future Ida-level damage. It also illustrated the need for the expansion of broadband, rural advocates say. The storm “makes it clear that the bill is important, particularly the resilience aspects of the bill, which are urgent,” said Rick Geddes, a Cornell University economics professor and director of the Cornell Program in Infrastructure Policy, a research center. He mentioned flood mitigation, fire prevention and water conservation, all of which are included in the “resilience” portion of the bill.
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