As storms grow stronger and floods become more frequent, the impacts are hitting communities faster than many can respond. Local elected leaders are often the first to face these challenges, and the first to demand action.
In May, the American Flood Coalition (AFC) was proud to welcome local elected leaders from across the country to Washington, D.C., for the 2026 Local Elected Leaders Summit. Over three days, participants came together to share experiences, dig into flood resilience strategies, discuss federal policy, and put their advocacy into action with a full day of meetings on Capitol Hill.
This year’s Summit was AFC’s largest to date, gathering more than 60 representatives from 10 states. Notably, the majority of attendees were new to the Coalition, and many came from inland states far from the coasts, which is a clear reflection of how flooding now touches every corner of the country.
On Monday, leaders were welcomed by AFC Founder and Executive Director Melissa Roberts and Chief Program Officer Anne Baker, who shared the story of AFC’s founding and growth. Melissa started the Coalition eight years ago after realizing that the challenges her own community had recovering from flooding were not unique. In a previous role, she spent a year traveling the country to meet mayors and congressional offices, where she found local leaders facing the same overwhelming challenges without the resources they needed to recover or build resilience. One local leader told her they hoped the next flood would happen when they were no longer in office. That moment crystallized what AFC needed to be: a coalition so that no local leader had to face those challenges alone. What began with 30 members has grown to more than 500 across 22 states, with over 50 congressional champions and nearly $38 billion in federal investments unlocked for members.
Coalition member Mayor Lois Paritsky of Ponce Inlet, Florida, spoke to attendees about how AFC’s work has transformed her community. “We were so fortunate to have been introduced to the coalition. It’s through our work with them that we’ve come to really understand what resilience means,” Paritsky said.
Tuesday’s programming gave leaders the chance to dig into the full scope of what it actually takes to build flood resilience. The morning focused on how communities are making progress at the local and state level and how those lessons carry into recovery and long-term resilience. Two panels of local leaders shared flooding challenges they faced and transferable strategies for addressing them, such as proactively building relationships with officials at all levels of government and incorporating flood risk into capital budgeting. Attendees were also introduced to three resources AFC provides: the Adaptation for All Guide, which outlines strategies to address flooding and case studies representing communities of all sizes; the Flood Funding Finder, which helps communities identify funding options for flood-related projects; and the State Resilience Framework, which has successfully advanced state resilience measures that helps local communities, including $1.7 billion in Resilient Forida grants, a tripled budget for the South Carolina Office of Resilience and billions in flood infrastructure investment in Texas.
The afternoon focused on the federal disaster system, including a close look at the major problems with the current system and how the bipartisan FEMA Act – legislation to modernize and reform federal disaster response – can help resolve them. Leaders then strategized with their state delegations to align on coordinated, state-level asks before heading to Capitol Hill the following morning, ensuring their individual stories were part of a unified voice on the issues that matter most to their communities.
On Wednesday, attendees took 55 meetings on Capitol Hill, bringing firsthand accounts of the impacts of flooding and resilience needs directly to federal decision-makers. Delegations met with both Senate and House offices, including Sens. Chuck Grassley, Joni Ernst, Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock, Lindsey Graham, Tim Scott, and Todd Young, and Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Erin Houchin, James Comer, Buddy Carter, Emanuel Cleaver, and Maria Elvira Salazar, among others.
Across offices, leaders made the case for FEMA reform, pressed for long-delayed reimbursements, and called on Congress to invest in resilience before the next disaster strikes. The impact of those conversations was evident in lawmakers’ responses. “It’s great meeting with North Carolinians from the American Flood Coalition who know firsthand what it takes to recover from disasters like Hurricane Helene and Florence,” said Sen. Ted Budd of North Carolina.
Attendees left energized by the experience. “In all of my years coming to the Hill and interacting with different nonprofits, I’ve never encountered a Hill Day so well organized,” said Commissioner Ann Howard of Travis County, Texas.
“The LEL Summit was a tremendous success, bringing together local elected leaders from across the country to share experiences and build the relationships needed to advance flood resilience in their communities. We’re proud of what we accomplished together and look forward to continuing this important work,” said Melissa Roberts, Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition.
The American Flood Coalition looks forward to strengthening the partnerships and relationships made at the Summit and supporting communities as they build long-lasting flood resilience.
