This is the March 25, 2025 testimony of Chris Currie on "Disaster Assistance: Improving the Federal Approach," before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. From the statement: "Thank you for the opportunity to discuss our past work on the federal approach to disaster recovery. Hurricanes, floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters affect hundreds of American communities each year. Due to the rising number of natural disasters, there has been a growing emphasis on how the federal government can improve its approach to disaster recovery. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculated that, in 2018 the U.S. experienced 14 disasters that each cost more than $1 billion in total economic damages. By 2024, the number of disasters costing at least $1 billion almost doubled to 27. That same year, at least 568 people died, directly or indirectly, as a result of those disasters. Recent disasters demonstrate the need for the federal government to take action to deliver assistance efficiently and effectively and reduce its fiscal exposure. [1] Hurricanes Helene and Milton occurred within 2 weeks of one another in 2024 and affected some of the same areas in the Southeast [...]. These two disasters resulted in over 200 deaths and are expected to cost over $50 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [2] On January 8, 2025, the President approved a major disaster declaration for historic wildfires in Los Angeles County, California. The wildfires were unprecedented in their size, scope, and the damage they caused. The Palisades and Eaton fires resulted in 29 deaths and the expected financial cost is still unknown as of March 2025. [3] In mid-March 2025, destructive tornadoes and severe storms occurred across the Midwest and South over a three-day period. The storms resulted in over 40 deaths, and the number of states that will need federal assistance is still unclear as of March 2025."