<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><base href="/"><title>A Lesson From Hurricanes Harvey And Irma: Prioritize U.S. Infrastructure</title><meta charset="UTF-8"><meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1,user-scalable=no"><link rel="canonical" itemprop="url" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/2017/10/30/a-lesson-from-hurricane-harvey-and-irma-prioritize-u-s-infrastructure/"><script>!function(e){function n(r){if(t[r])return t[r].exports;var o=t[r]={i:r,l:!1,exports:{}};return e[r].call(o.exports,o,o.exports,n),o.l=!0,o.exports}var r=window.webpackJsonp;window.webpackJsonp=function(t,c,a){for(var i,u,f,s=0,d=[];s<t.length;s++)u=t[s],o[u]&&d.push(o[u][0]),o[u]=0;for(i in c)Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(c,i)&&(e[i]=c[i]);for(r&&r(t,c,a);d.length;)d.shift()();if(a)for(s=0;s<a.length;s++)f=n(n.s=a[s]);return f};var t={},o={6:0};n.e=function(e){function 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<div _ngcontent-c20="" innerhtml="<div id=&quot;attachment_843769944&quot; class=&quot;wp-caption alignnone&quot;> 
 <div class=&quot;article-body-image&quot;> 
  <progressive-image class=&quot;progressive-placeholder&quot; src=&quot;https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fimageserve%2F843769944%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale&quot; low-res-src=&quot;https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/100x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fimageserve%2F843769944%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale&quot;></progressive-image> 
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  <div class=&quot;caption-container&quot; ng-class=&quot;caption_state&quot;> 
   <fbs-accordion current=&quot;0&quot;> 
    <p class=&quot;wp-caption-text&quot;>Orange, Texas, on Sept. 7, after Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)</p> 
   </fbs-accordion> 
  </div> 
 </div> 
</div> 
<p>Over the past month, the damages wrought by numerous hurricanes have slowly begun to become apparent. Bloomberg says Harvey may have caused over <a href=&quot;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/-apocalyptic-flooding-has-harvey-s-damages-rising-by-the-hour&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>$75 billion in economic losses</a>, and Fortune reports the same storm likely caused another <a href=&quot;http://fortune.com/2017/08/30/hurricane-harvey-damage-property/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>$23 billion in property</a> damage, making Harvey one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.</p> 
<p>Looking at Florida, Hurricane Irma’s total economic loss could reach <a href=&quot;https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/why-irma-s-impact-economy-will-be-worse-harvey-s-n801696&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>$70 billion</a>. Finally, losses from Hurricane Maria are expected to reach between <a href=&quot;http://fortune.com/2017/09/26/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-loses/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>$40 and $85 billion</a>. With the Atlantic hurricane season officially ending on Nov. 30, this has already become the most expensive season on record.</p> 
<p>At every level, a great deal of credit is owed to the swift and effective coordination among federal, state and municipal leaders. From the president’s waiver of certain regulations to expedite resources to areas affected to the men and women organizing volunteer efforts on the ground, the reaction to these crises suggests policymakers and the public have learned from the hard lessons of the past. And a silver lining amid the destruction:&amp;nbsp;These events will strengthen response protocols and procedures going forward.</p> 
<p> 
 </p> 
<p>Yet as a nation we are a long way from any kind of a finish line: The devastation inflicted should cause us all to pause and reflect on the state of our infrastructure. Officials face difficult challenges with rebuilding and restoring bridges and roads, electrical grids, energy networks and a host of other infrastructure systems — a task that will take years to accomplish.</p> 
<p>At the same time, these crises emphasize the imperative to further invest in U.S. infrastructure capacity and resources — perhaps none more important than telecommunications. Irma disrupted nearly half of <a href=&quot;http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172972711.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>all cell sites</a> in southwest Florida. The storm left some <a href=&quot;https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/09/hurricane-irma-took-7-million-cable-and-wireline-subscribers-offline/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>seven million users</a> throughout the state without broadband coverage. Northeast of Corpus Christi,&amp;nbsp;<a href=&quot;http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172548956.html&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>more than three-quarters of all cell sites</a> were knocked out by Hurricane Harvey, and nearly <a href=&quot;http://www.smartbrief.com/branded/14B53D24-35C5-41D4-B190-AC51C762248C/5CC1E59D-B0F4-4BE3-A381-275A64E45912&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>300,000 Texans</a> lacked broadband access in the storm’s aftermath.</p> 
<div class=&quot;vestpocket&quot; vest-pocket=&quot;&quot;></div> 
<p>Lawmakers have an obligation to use policy levers and to partner with providers to bolster networks in order to improve reliability and speed up recovery times. They should center on improving connectivity and facilitating cellular deployment. <a href=&quot;https://www.recode.net/2017/6/20/15839626/disparity-between-urban-rural-internet-access-major-economies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>Twenty-eight percent of individuals</a> living in rural areas don’t have, or can’t afford, broadband. The same is true for 23% of people living in urban locations. Federal Communications Commission statistics reveal that less than half families living in rural America have high-speed Internet, as compared with&amp;nbsp;<a href=&quot;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-pledges-rural-broadband-support-in-infrastructure-package&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;nofollow&quot;>94% in urban areas</a>.</p> 
<p>Cellphone and Internet access are more than luxuries; they have become necessities as 80% of Internet users access medical and healthcare information online. In emergency events, social networking sites offer a channel for users to notify friends and family of their whereabouts. Police, fire/EMS and first responders can use cell signals to locate individuals in need, often within feet. When one considers such technological capabilities, the so-called urban-rural “digital divide” becomes strikingly urgent. There is every reason for policymakers to focus on closing the gap and improving network reliability — be it economic growth or disaster response.</p>"><div id="attachment_843769944" class="wp-caption alignnone"> 
 <div class="article-body-image"> 
  <progressive-image class="progressive-placeholder" src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/960x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fimageserve%2F843769944%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale" low-res-src="https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/100x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fblogs-images.forbes.com%2Fimageserve%2F843769944%2F960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale"></progressive-image> 
 </div> 
 <div article-image-caption=""> 
  <div class="caption-container" ng-class="caption_state"> 
   <fbs-accordion current="0"> 
    <p class="wp-caption-text">Orange, Texas, on Sept. 7, after Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)</p> 
   </fbs-accordion> 
  </div> 
 </div> 
</div> 
<p class="speakable-paragraph">Over the past month, the damages wrought by numerous hurricanes have slowly begun to become apparent. Bloomberg says Harvey may have caused over <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/-apocalyptic-flooding-has-harvey-s-damages-rising-by-the-hour" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$75 billion in economic losses</a>, and Fortune reports the same storm likely caused another <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/08/30/hurricane-harvey-damage-property/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$23 billion in property</a> damage, making Harvey one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.</p> 
<p>Looking at Florida, Hurricane Irma’s total economic loss could reach <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/why-irma-s-impact-economy-will-be-worse-harvey-s-n801696" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$70 billion</a>. Finally, losses from Hurricane Maria are expected to reach between <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/09/26/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-loses/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$40 and $85 billion</a>. With the Atlantic hurricane season officially ending on Nov. 30, this has already become the most expensive season on record.</p> 
<p>At every level, a great deal of credit is owed to the swift and effective coordination among federal, state and municipal leaders. From the president’s waiver of certain regulations to expedite resources to areas affected to the men and women organizing volunteer efforts on the ground, the reaction to these crises suggests policymakers and the public have learned from the hard lessons of the past. And a silver lining amid the destruction:&nbsp;These events will strengthen response protocols and procedures going forward.</p> 
<p> 
 </p> 
<p>Yet as a nation we are a long way from any kind of a finish line: The devastation inflicted should cause us all to pause and reflect on the state of our infrastructure. Officials face difficult challenges with rebuilding and restoring bridges and roads, electrical grids, energy networks and a host of other infrastructure systems — a task that will take years to accomplish.</p> 
<p>At the same time, these crises emphasize the imperative to further invest in U.S. infrastructure capacity and resources — perhaps none more important than telecommunications. Irma disrupted nearly half of <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172972711.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">all cell sites</a> in southwest Florida. The storm left some <a href="https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/09/hurricane-irma-took-7-million-cable-and-wireline-subscribers-offline/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">seven million users</a> throughout the state without broadband coverage. Northeast of Corpus Christi,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172548956.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">more than three-quarters of all cell sites</a> were knocked out by Hurricane Harvey, and nearly <a href="http://www.smartbrief.com/branded/14B53D24-35C5-41D4-B190-AC51C762248C/5CC1E59D-B0F4-4BE3-A381-275A64E45912" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">300,000 Texans</a> lacked broadband access in the storm’s aftermath.</p> 
<div class="vestpocket" vest-pocket=""></div> 
<p>Lawmakers have an obligation to use policy levers and to partner with providers to bolster networks in order to improve reliability and speed up recovery times. They should center on improving connectivity and facilitating cellular deployment. <a href="https://www.recode.net/2017/6/20/15839626/disparity-between-urban-rural-internet-access-major-economies" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Twenty-eight percent of individuals</a> living in rural areas don’t have, or can’t afford, broadband. The same is true for 23% of people living in urban locations. Federal Communications Commission statistics reveal that less than half families living in rural America have high-speed Internet, as compared with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-pledges-rural-broadband-support-in-infrastructure-package" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">94% in urban areas</a>.</p> 
<p>Cellphone and Internet access are more than luxuries; they have become necessities as 80% of Internet users access medical and healthcare information online. In emergency events, social networking sites offer a channel for users to notify friends and family of their whereabouts. Police, fire/EMS and first responders can use cell signals to locate individuals in need, often within feet. When one considers such technological capabilities, the so-called urban-rural “digital divide” becomes strikingly urgent. There is every reason for policymakers to focus on closing the gap and improving network reliability — be it economic growth or disaster response.</p></div>
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	</app-root><script id="ng-templates-state" type="application/json">{&q;environmentName&q;:&q;prod&q;,&q;is_mobile&q;:false,&q;/forbesapi/content/uri.json?shortcodes=true&a;slides=true&a;type=ng&a;tickers=true&a;bvallpages=true&a;autovpslider=true&a;stream=true&a;compressimages=true&a;mobile=false&a;prgsmobileads=false&a;relativeVideo=true&a;videoplayertype=brightcove_perform_with_keyvalues&a;swimlane=&a;uri=http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/2017/10/30/a-lesson-from-hurricane-harvey-and-irma-prioritize-u-s-infrastructure/&q;:{&q;content&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;content_59f7adf964aaf9293e0912a8&q;,&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAndPostId/blog/post/2103-2365&q;,&q;source&q;:&q;blogs&q;,&q;author&q;:&q;Brigham A. McCown&q;,&q;title&q;:&q;A Lesson From Hurricanes Harvey And Irma: Prioritize U.S. Infrastructure&q;,&q;date&q;:1509404580000,&q;body&q;:&q;&l;p&g;[caption id=\&q;attachment_843769944\&q; photocredit=\&q;\&q;  align=\&q;\&q; width=\&q;960\&q;]&l;img class=\&q;dam-image getty size-large wp-image-843769944\&q; src=\&q;http://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/843769944/960x0.jpg?fit=scale\&q; data-height=\&q;640\&q; data-width=\&q;960\&q;&g; Orange, Texas, on Sept. 7, after Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)[/caption]\r\n\r\nOver the past month, the damages wrought by numerous hurricanes have slowly begun to become apparent. Bloomberg says Harvey may have caused over &l;a href=\&q;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/-apocalyptic-flooding-has-harvey-s-damages-rising-by-the-hour\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;$75 billion in economic losses&l;/a&g;, and Fortune reports the same storm likely caused another &l;a href=\&q;http://fortune.com/2017/08/30/hurricane-harvey-damage-property/\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;$23 billion in property&l;/a&g; damage, making Harvey one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.\r\n\r\nLooking at Florida, Hurricane Irma&a;rsquo;s total economic loss could reach &l;a href=\&q;https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/why-irma-s-impact-economy-will-be-worse-harvey-s-n801696\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;$70 billion&l;/a&g;. Finally, losses from Hurricane Maria are expected to reach between &l;a href=\&q;http://fortune.com/2017/09/26/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-loses/\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;$40 and $85 billion&l;/a&g;. With the Atlantic hurricane season officially ending on Nov. 30, this has already become the most expensive season on record.\r\n\r\nAt every level, a great deal of credit is owed to the swift and effective coordination among federal, state and municipal leaders. From the president&a;rsquo;s waiver of certain regulations to expedite resources to areas affected to the men and women organizing volunteer efforts on the ground, the reaction to these crises suggests policymakers and the public have learned from the hard lessons of the past. And a silver lining amid the destruction:&a;nbsp;These events will strengthen response protocols and procedures going forward.\r\n\r\nYet as a nation we are a long way from any kind of a finish line: The devastation inflicted should cause us all to pause and reflect on the state of our infrastructure. Officials face difficult challenges with rebuilding and restoring bridges and roads, electrical grids, energy networks and a host of other infrastructure systems &a;mdash; a task that will take years to accomplish.\r\n\r\nAt the same time, these crises emphasize the imperative to further invest in U.S. infrastructure capacity and resources &a;mdash; perhaps none more important than telecommunications. Irma disrupted nearly half of &l;a href=\&q;http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172972711.html\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;all cell sites&l;/a&g; in southwest Florida. The storm left some &l;a href=\&q;https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/09/hurricane-irma-took-7-million-cable-and-wireline-subscribers-offline/\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;seven million users&l;/a&g; throughout the state without broadband coverage. Northeast of Corpus Christi,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=\&q;http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172548956.html\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;more than three-quarters of all cell sites&l;/a&g; were knocked out by Hurricane Harvey, and nearly &l;a href=\&q;http://www.smartbrief.com/branded/14B53D24-35C5-41D4-B190-AC51C762248C/5CC1E59D-B0F4-4BE3-A381-275A64E45912\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;300,000 Texans&l;/a&g; lacked broadband access in the storm&a;rsquo;s aftermath.\r\n\r\nLawmakers have an obligation to use policy levers and to partner with providers to bolster networks in order to improve reliability and speed up recovery times. They should center on improving connectivity and facilitating cellular deployment. &l;a href=\&q;https://www.recode.net/2017/6/20/15839626/disparity-between-urban-rural-internet-access-major-economies\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;Twenty-eight percent of individuals&l;/a&g; living in rural areas don&a;rsquo;t have, or can&a;rsquo;t afford, broadband. The same is true for 23% of people living in urban locations. Federal Communications Commission statistics reveal that less than half families living in rural America have high-speed Internet, as compared with&a;nbsp;&l;a href=\&q;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-pledges-rural-broadband-support-in-infrastructure-package\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q;&g;94% in urban areas&l;/a&g;.\r\n\r\nCellphone and Internet access are more than luxuries; they have become necessities as 80% of Internet users access medical and healthcare information online. In emergency events, social networking sites offer a channel for users to notify friends and family of their whereabouts. Police, fire/EMS and first responders can use cell signals to locate individuals in need, often within feet. When one considers such technological capabilities, the so-called urban-rural &a;ldquo;digital divide&a;rdquo; becomes strikingly urgent. There is every reason for policymakers to focus on closing the gap and improving network reliability &a;mdash; be it economic growth or disaster response.\r\n&l;!--nextpage--&g;\nFor their part, broadband providers have demonstrated a good faith effort to work with both regulators and policymakers. In 2015, the industry invested $76 billion in U.S. infrastructure, and four of the top 10 &a;ldquo;Investment Heroes&a;rdquo; were telecommunications companies, according to the latest annual report by the Progressive Policy Institute. Collectively, these companies funded more than $51 billion of infrastructure projects in 2015.\r\n\r\nAs relief efforts give way to thoughtful planning, now is the time for lawmakers to build on this momentum in order to encourage a dialogue about our infrastructure needs. Officials should take this time to make the hard, but necessary, decisions that will help bring more individuals online and encourage innovation and growth in the digital space. Across the country, everyday Americans have come together, and now it&a;rsquo;s time for our elected leaders to do the same.&l;/p&g;&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;The devastation inflicted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma should cause us all to pause and reflect on the state of our infrastructure, and how to fix it.&q;,&q;image&q;:&q;http://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/843769944/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q;,&q;type&q;:&q;blog&q;,&q;storyType&q;:&q;post&q;,&q;uri&q;:&q;http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/2017/10/30/a-lesson-from-hurricane-harvey-and-irma-prioritize-u-s-infrastructure/&q;,&q;comments&q;:[],&q;visible&q;:true,&q;authors&q;:[{&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/291744&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Brigham A. McCown&q;,&q;avatars&q;:[{&q;size&q;:400,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/brighammccown/files/2017/11/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1511304132.png&q;},{&q;size&q;:136,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/brighammccown/files/2017/11/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1511304132-136x136.png&q;},{&q;size&q;:62,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/brighammccown/files/2017/11/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1511304132-62x62.png&q;},{&q;size&q;:40,&q;image&q;:&q;https://blogs-images.forbes.com/brighammccown/files/2017/11/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1511304132-40x40.png&q;}],&q;url&q;:&q;http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/&q;,&q;type&q;:&q;Contributor&q;,&q;profileUrl&q;:&q;/sites/brighammccown/&q;,&q;twitterName&q;:&q;BAMcCown&q;,&q;authorType&q;:&q;individual&q;,&q;linkedIn&q;:&q;https://www.linkedin.com/in/brighammccown&q;,&q;email&q;:&q;bmccown@nouveaucorp.com&q;,&q;blog&q;:false,&q;timestamp&q;:1516823114947,&q;webSite&q;:&q;http://www.brighammccown.com&q;,&q;blogName&q;:&q;Grid And Bear It&q;,&q;topics&q;:[&q;politics&q;,&q;washington&q;,&q;regulation&q;,&q;oped&q;,&q;lifestyle&q;,&q;strategies-solutions&q;,&q;energy&q;,&q;business&q;,&q;policy&q;,&q;economics&q;,&q;logistics-transportation&q;,&q;entrepreneurs&q;,&q;small-business-roundtable&q;,&q;markets&q;,&q;law&q;,&q;world-affairs&q;,&q;fact-and-comment&q;,&q;europe&q;,&q;innovation-and-science&q;,&q;green-tech&q;,&q;going-global&q;,&q;energy--environment&q;,&q;travel&q;,&q;powering-productivity&q;,&q;commodities-currencies&q;,&q;forbeslife-travel&q;,&q;forbeslife&q;,&q;tech&q;,&q;reinventing-america&q;,&q;food-agriculture&q;],&q;recentFlag&q;:false,&q;description&q;:&q;Mr. McCown is a retired federal public servant, military veteran, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and public policy expert.\r\n\r\nGrowing up in the rural Appalachian area of Southern Ohio, Mr. McCown went from being a barge company laborer to running a federal agency. He retired from public service in 2013 after serving the country in and out of uniform for 29 years.\r\n\r\nHe most recently served as a senior advisor to the current Secretary of Transportation. He formerly headed the U.S. federal safety agency responsible for overseeing all energy &a;amp; hazmat transportation by air, land, sea, rail and pipelines as the head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation. He also served as the federal government&s;s top trucking, bus, and moving industry attorney as the Chief Counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), also at the USDOT. \r\n\r\nA retired a commissioned officer and naval aviator, his military service included tours of duty in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. During his time he participated in military combat and humanitarian relief operations around the globe.\r\n\r\nAn avid traveler and student of history, he spends his time covering public policy impact issues for Forbes and other publications and provides legal and advisory services to public and private sector clients interested in matters pertaining to defense, energy, transportation, homeland security, and the environment. \r\n\r\nFinally he is the founder and chairman of the non-profit Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure. Aii is a Washington, DC NGO think tank which focuses on policy innovations for the infrastructure arena&q;,&q;recentActivityCount&q;:0,&q;latestActivityDate&q;:1446831780000,&q;dailyActivityCount&q;:0,&q;primaryBlogNaturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/blog-2103&q;,&q;shortUri&q;:&q;http://onforb.es/12ljdfM&q;,&q;displayChannel&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;displaySection&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;contributorSince&q;:1332811723000,&q;slug&q;:&q;brighammccown&q;,&q;showNoVestPocket&q;:false,&q;embargo&q;:false,&q;primaryChannelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;primarySectionId&q;:&q;section_2&q;,&q;facebookPage&q;:&q;http://www.facebook.com/Brigham.A.McCown&q;,&q;altEmail&q;:&q;bmccown@aii.org&q;,&q;enableContribContact&q;:true,&q;sigfile&q;:&q;&l;em&g;Mr. McCown is a former federal gov&s;t executive, public policy expert, conservationist and the founder of the non-profit Aii.org. You can visit him at brighammccown.com or follow him at: @BAMcCown.&l;/em&g;&q;,&q;enableTwitterFeed&q;:false,&q;disableCanonical&q;:false,&q;disableDigest&q;:false,&q;forbesTwitterProfile&q;:{&q;screenName&q;:&q;BAMcCown&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Brigham A. McCown&q;,&q;profileImageUrl&q;:&q;http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/890564250137227265/Vg3rt7xw.jpg&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;Public Figure Adventurer Philanthropist Entrepreneur Innovator. Fmr @USDOD @USDOT Founder @Aiiwire @NouveauInc Contributor @Forbes Alum @MiamiUniversity&q;,&q;createdDate&q;:1332277944000,&q;location&q;:&q;Washington, DC&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;https://t.co/3XFM3vY4lQ&q;,&q;expandedUrl&q;:&q;http://www.BrighamMcCown.com&q;,&q;displayUrl&q;:&q;BrighamMcCown.com&q;,&q;verified&q;:false},&q;inactive&q;:true,&q;primaryChannel&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelName&q;:&q;Business&q;,&q;sectionId&q;:&q;section_2&q;,&q;sectionName&q;:&q;Energy&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;/energy&q;,&q;shortName&q;:&q;Energy&q;},&q;division&q;:&q;FC&q;,&q;allowEmail&q;:false,&q;avatar_map&q;:{}},{&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/blog-2103&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Grid And Bear It&q;,&q;avatars&q;:[{&q;size&q;:0,&q;image&q;:&q;&q;},{&q;size&q;:0,&q;image&q;:&q;&q;},{&q;size&q;:0,&q;image&q;:&q;&q;},{&q;size&q;:0,&q;image&q;:&q;&q;}],&q;url&q;:&q;http://www.forbes.com/sites/brighammccown/&q;,&q;profileUrl&q;:&q;http://blogs.forbes.com/brighammccown/profile/&q;,&q;twitterName&q;:&q;BAMcCown&q;,&q;authorType&q;:&q;individual&q;,&q;facebookName&q;:&q;brigham.mccown&q;,&q;linkedIn&q;:&q;http://www.linkedin.com/in/brighammccown/&q;,&q;blog&q;:true,&q;timestamp&q;:1500321197416,&q;topics&q;:[&q;politics&q;,&q;washington&q;,&q;regulation&q;,&q;oped&q;,&q;lifestyle&q;,&q;strategies-solutions&q;,&q;energy&q;,&q;business&q;,&q;policy&q;,&q;economics&q;,&q;logistics-transportation&q;,&q;entrepreneurs&q;,&q;small-business-roundtable&q;,&q;markets&q;,&q;law&q;,&q;world-affairs&q;,&q;fact-and-comment&q;,&q;europe&q;,&q;innovation-and-science&q;,&q;green-tech&q;,&q;going-global&q;,&q;energy--environment&q;,&q;travel&q;,&q;powering-productivity&q;,&q;commodities-currencies&q;,&q;forbeslife-travel&q;,&q;forbeslife&q;,&q;tech&q;,&q;reinventing-america&q;,&q;food-agriculture&q;,&q;international&q;],&q;recentActivityCount&q;:0,&q;latestActivityDate&q;:1446831780000,&q;dailyActivityCount&q;:0,&q;primaryBlogNaturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/blog-2103&q;,&q;primaryContributor&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/291744&q;,&q;primaryContributorData&q;:{&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAuthorId/blog/author/291744&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Brigham A. McCown&q;,&q;avatars&q;:[{&q;size&q;:136,&q;image&q;:&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/files/2014/10/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1413836167-136x136.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:400,&q;image&q;:&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/files/2014/10/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1413836167.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:40,&q;image&q;:&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/files/2014/10/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1413836167-40x40.jpg&q;},{&q;size&q;:62,&q;image&q;:&q;http://blogs-images.forbes.com/files/2014/10/Brigham-A.-McCown_avatar_1413836167-62x62.jpg&q;}],&q;blog&q;:false,&q;shortBio&q;:&q;I cover the intersection of law, policy, and politics.&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;Mr. McCown is a retired federal public servant, military veteran, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and public policy expert.\r\n\r\nGrowing up in the rural Appalachian area of Southern Ohio, Mr. McCown went from being a barge company laborer to running a federal agency. He retired from public service in 2013 after serving the country in and out of uniform for 29 years.\r\n\r\nHe formerly headed the U.S. federal safety agency responsible for overseeing all energy &a;amp; hazmat transportation by air, land, sea, rail and pipelines as the head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). He also served as the federal government&s;s top trucking, bus, and moving industry attorney as the Chief Counsel of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), also at the USDOT. \r\n\r\nA retired a commissioned officer and naval aviator, his military service included tours of duty in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. During his time he participated in military combat and humanitarian relief operations around the globe.\r\n\r\nAn avid traveler and student of history, he spends his time covering public policy impact issues for Forbes and other publications and provides legal and advisory services to public and private sector clients interested in matters pertaining to defense, energy, transportation, homeland security, and the environment. \r\n\r\nFinally he is the founder and chairman of the non-profit Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure. Aii is a Washington, DC NGO think tank which focuses on policy innovations for the infrastructure arena&q;,&q;allowEmail&q;:false},&q;shortUri&q;:&q;http://onforb.es/12ljdfM&q;,&q;displayChannel&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;displaySection&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;contributorSince&q;:1332797904000,&q;slug&q;:&q;brighammccown&q;,&q;showNoVestPocket&q;:false,&q;embargo&q;:false,&q;primaryChannelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;primarySectionId&q;:&q;section_2&q;,&q;enableContribContact&q;:false,&q;enableTwitterFeed&q;:true,&q;disableCanonical&q;:false,&q;disableDigest&q;:false,&q;forbesTwitterProfile&q;:{&q;screenName&q;:&q;BAMcCown&q;,&q;name&q;:&q;Brigham A. McCown&q;,&q;profileImageUrl&q;:&q;http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/890564250137227265/Vg3rt7xw.jpg&q;,&q;description&q;:&q;Public Figure Adventurer Philanthropist Entrepreneur Innovator. Fmr @USDOD @USDOT Founder @Aiiwire @NouveauInc Contributor @Forbes Alum @MiamiUniversity&q;,&q;createdDate&q;:1332277944000,&q;location&q;:&q;Washington, DC&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;https://t.co/3XFM3vY4lQ&q;,&q;expandedUrl&q;:&q;http://www.BrighamMcCown.com&q;,&q;displayUrl&q;:&q;BrighamMcCown.com&q;,&q;verified&q;:false},&q;inactive&q;:false,&q;primaryChannel&q;:{&q;id&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;channelName&q;:&q;Business&q;,&q;sectionId&q;:&q;section_2&q;,&q;sectionName&q;:&q;Energy&q;,&q;url&q;:&q;/energy&q;,&q;shortName&q;:&q;Energy&q;},&q;allowEmail&q;:false,&q;avatar_map&q;:{}}],&q;channelSection&q;:[{&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;},{&q;channelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;sectionId&q;:&q;section_2&q;}],&q;slug&q;:&q;Grid And Bear It&q;,&q;blogType&q;:&q;individual&q;,&q;sitePage&q;:&q;forbes.com/business/blogs/brighammccown/index.html&q;,&q;displayChannel&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;displaySection&q;:&q;business&q;,&q;vestPocketList&q;:[{&q;type&q;:&q;slide&q;,&q;uri&q;:&q;https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj45jggj/1-detroit/&q;,&q;image&q;:&q;http://specials-images.forbesimg.com/imageserve/026M72T8ElbzS/&q;,&q;title&q;:&q;The 10 Most Dangerous U.S. Cities&q;,&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAndSlideId/blog/slide/986-6336&q;,&q;count&q;:37446,&q;reason&q;:&q;MP-G&q;},{&q;type&q;:&q;blog&q;,&q;uri&q;:&q;https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2018/02/12/ten-things-only-lousy-managers-say-2/&q;,&q;image&q;:&q;https://specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/1022439613/960x0.jpg?fit=scale&q;,&q;title&q;:&q;Ten Things Only Lousy Managers Say&q;,&q;naturalId&q;:&q;blogAndPostId/blog/post/2989-32902&q;,&q;count&q;:0,&q;reason&q;:&q;FB&q;}],&q;generatedId&q;:&q;fedg45fgji&q;,&q;manualDescription&q;:&q;The devastation inflicted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma should cause us all to pause and reflect on the state of our infrastructure, and how to fix it.&q;,&q;primaryChannelId&q;:&q;channel_1&q;,&q;primarySectionId&q;:&q;section_2&q;,&q;vestPocketPosition&q;:6,&q;siteSlug&q;:&q;brighammccown&q;,&q;preview&q;:false,&q;showComments&q;:true,&q;timestamp&q;:1509406356782,&q;statsEntities&q;:[{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Atlantic hurricane season&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Hurricane Irma&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Hurricane Maria&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Hurricane Harvey&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Hyperlink&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Internet access&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Lesser Antilles&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Geography of the United States&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Tropics&q;,&q;type&q;:null,&q;relevance&q;:null},{&q;id&q;:null,&q;name&q;:&q;Professional Information Services - 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(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)&l;/p&g; \n   &l;/fbs-accordion&g; \n  &l;/div&g; \n &l;/div&g; \n&l;/div&g; \n&l;p&g;Over the past month, the damages wrought by numerous hurricanes have slowly begun to become apparent. Bloomberg says Harvey may have caused over &l;a href=\&q;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-30/-apocalyptic-flooding-has-harvey-s-damages-rising-by-the-hour\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;$75 billion in economic losses&l;/a&g;, and Fortune reports the same storm likely caused another &l;a href=\&q;http://fortune.com/2017/08/30/hurricane-harvey-damage-property/\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;$23 billion in property&l;/a&g; damage, making Harvey one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history.&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g;Looking at Florida, Hurricane Irma’s total economic loss could reach &l;a href=\&q;https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/hurricane-irma/why-irma-s-impact-economy-will-be-worse-harvey-s-n801696\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;$70 billion&l;/a&g;. Finally, losses from Hurricane Maria are expected to reach between &l;a href=\&q;http://fortune.com/2017/09/26/hurricane-maria-puerto-rico-loses/\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;$40 and $85 billion&l;/a&g;. With the Atlantic hurricane season officially ending on Nov. 30, this has already become the most expensive season on record.&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g;At every level, a great deal of credit is owed to the swift and effective coordination among federal, state and municipal leaders. From the president’s waiver of certain regulations to expedite resources to areas affected to the men and women organizing volunteer efforts on the ground, the reaction to these crises suggests policymakers and the public have learned from the hard lessons of the past. And a silver lining amid the destruction:&a;nbsp;These events will strengthen response protocols and procedures going forward.&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g; \n &l;fbs-ad position=\&q;inread\&q; progressive=\&q;\&q;&g;&l;/fbs-ad&g;&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g;Yet as a nation we are a long way from any kind of a finish line: The devastation inflicted should cause us all to pause and reflect on the state of our infrastructure. Officials face difficult challenges with rebuilding and restoring bridges and roads, electrical grids, energy networks and a host of other infrastructure systems — a task that will take years to accomplish.&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g;At the same time, these crises emphasize the imperative to further invest in U.S. infrastructure capacity and resources — perhaps none more important than telecommunications. Irma disrupted nearly half of &l;a href=\&q;http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172972711.html\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;all cell sites&l;/a&g; in southwest Florida. The storm left some &l;a href=\&q;https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/09/hurricane-irma-took-7-million-cable-and-wireline-subscribers-offline/\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;seven million users&l;/a&g; throughout the state without broadband coverage. Northeast of Corpus Christi,&a;nbsp;&l;a href=\&q;http://www.miamiherald.com/news/weather/hurricane/article172548956.html\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;more than three-quarters of all cell sites&l;/a&g; were knocked out by Hurricane Harvey, and nearly &l;a href=\&q;http://www.smartbrief.com/branded/14B53D24-35C5-41D4-B190-AC51C762248C/5CC1E59D-B0F4-4BE3-A381-275A64E45912\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;300,000 Texans&l;/a&g; lacked broadband access in the storm’s aftermath.&l;/p&g; \n&l;div class=\&q;vestpocket\&q; vest-pocket=\&q;\&q;&g;&l;/div&g; \n&l;p&g;Lawmakers have an obligation to use policy levers and to partner with providers to bolster networks in order to improve reliability and speed up recovery times. They should center on improving connectivity and facilitating cellular deployment. &l;a href=\&q;https://www.recode.net/2017/6/20/15839626/disparity-between-urban-rural-internet-access-major-economies\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;Twenty-eight percent of individuals&l;/a&g; living in rural areas don’t have, or can’t afford, broadband. The same is true for 23% of people living in urban locations. Federal Communications Commission statistics reveal that less than half families living in rural America have high-speed Internet, as compared with&a;nbsp;&l;a href=\&q;https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-22/trump-pledges-rural-broadband-support-in-infrastructure-package\&q; target=\&q;_blank\&q; rel=\&q;nofollow\&q;&g;94% in urban areas&l;/a&g;.&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g;Cellphone and Internet access are more than luxuries; they have become necessities as 80% of Internet users access medical and healthcare information online. In emergency events, social networking sites offer a channel for users to notify friends and family of their whereabouts. Police, fire/EMS and first responders can use cell signals to locate individuals in need, often within feet. When one considers such technological capabilities, the so-called urban-rural “digital divide” becomes strikingly urgent. There is every reason for policymakers to focus on closing the gap and improving network reliability — be it economic growth or disaster response.&l;/p&g;&q;,&q;&l;p&g;For their part, broadband providers have demonstrated a good faith effort to work with both regulators and policymakers. In 2015, the industry invested $76 billion in U.S. infrastructure, and four of the top 10 “Investment Heroes” were telecommunications companies, according to the latest annual report by the Progressive Policy Institute. Collectively, these companies funded more than $51 billion of infrastructure projects in 2015.&l;/p&g; \n&l;p&g;As relief efforts give way to thoughtful planning, now is the time for lawmakers to build on this momentum in order to encourage a dialogue about our infrastructure needs. Officials should take this time to make the hard, but necessary, decisions that will help bring more individuals online and encourage innovation and growth in the digital space. 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