Throughout history, communities have been planned to meet a threat. Some were garrisoned to ward off invaders. Floyd also reportedly set records for the number of people evacuated due to a natural disaster and is setting in motion the largest disaster buy-out program in FEMA history. These figures are expected to go higher. A number of Project Impact communities in hurricane-prone areas have already implemented measures that reduced the destruction from the 1999 storms.
Every community is at risk for some type of natural disaster.
Risk reduction actions should be taking place everywhere in order to reduce the terrible toll that disasters are taking on this nation. Including the 1999 hurricane season, a total of 59 major disasters were declared since 1989 because of hurricanes hitting the U.S. mainland and Caribbean and Pacific Ocean possessions.