In the past month, the southeastern United States has been hit by two highly destructive storms: Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. This week, we sat down with a true expert in emergency management, Steve Hagerty, Founder and President of Hagerty Consulting, to tell us about the role of public finance in disaster preparedness and emergency management in the aftermath of disasters. With significant experience in disaster response stretching back to the immediate aftermath of 9/11, Steve tells us about the many different programs and funds that state and local governments can (and should) utilize to prepare for and respond to disasters, and how these programs - along with strong emergency management and effective relationship-building - all lead to greater community resiliency in the wake of these events. In Ripped from the Headlines, we take a closer look at zoning, building codes, and policy strategy in Florida which, despite high climate risks, still experiences some of the fastest population growth in the United States.