Kansas is number one when it comes to natural disaster mitigation

A study has found that Kansas saves more money, on average, than any other state that uses federal grants to mitigate natural disasters.

The Pew Charitable Trusts analysis shows that for every $1 of federal funds spent on protecting against flood and tornado damage, Kansas avoided $6.81 in potential recovery costs.

The Kansas News Service reports that Missouri trailed close behind, with each federal dollar saving $6.72.

Researchers calculated savings from avoiding casualties, property repairs and business disruptions, among other factors.

The findings come after Kansas saw heavy rain and flooding this spring. A May tornado near Pittsburg damaged buildings and toppled power lines and trees.

The study’s co-author, Colin Foard, says the main takeaway for policymakers is that investing in disaster mitigation pays off.