After a record 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2020, it's time to overhaul US disaster policy – here's how

NOAA released its list of climate and weather disasters that cost the nation more than $1 billion each. Like many climate and weather events this past year, it shattered the record.

Deb Niemeier, Clark Distinguished Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland • conversation
Jan. 8, 2021 • ~11 min
climate-change policy construction floods hurricanes storms global-warming natural-disasters wildfires government disaster-risk fema building disaster-management land-use building-codes 2020

After a record 22 billion-dollar disasters in 2020, it's time to make US disaster policy more effective and equitable – here's how

NOAA released its list of climate and weather disasters that cost the nation more than $1 billion each. Like many climate and weather events this past year, it shattered the record.

Deb Niemeier, Clark Distinguished Chair and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland • conversation
Jan. 8, 2021 • ~11 min
policy construction floods hurricanes storms natural-disasters wildfires government disaster-risk fema building disaster-management land-use building-codes 2020

Homes are flooding outside FEMA's 100-year flood zones, and racial inequality is showing through

New risk models show nearly twice as many properties are at risk from a 100-year flood today than the government's flood maps indicate.

Kevin T. Smiley, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Louisiana State University • conversation
Sept. 24, 2020 • ~8 min
cities poverty flooding hurricanes natural-disasters fema urban floodplains hurricane-harvey

It’s Hurricane Preparedness Week, and communities aren't ready for both coronavirus and a disaster

The US faces a high risk of hurricanes and other disasters this year that could leave thousands of people in need of shelter. COVID-19 will make those disasters more dangerous to manage.

Mark Abkowitz, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Environmental Management Studies, Vanderbilt University • conversation
May 5, 2020 • ~9 min
health environment covid-19 coronavirus hurricane wildfire public-safety natural-disasters emergency-management fema

Device offers a way to communicate during disasters

A tool called "Panacea's Cloud" will help first responders communicate in natural or human-made disasters when cell phones or other devices are unavailable.

Eric Stann-Missouri • futurity
Sept. 11, 2019 • ~3 min
communication natural-disasters fema science-and-technology

Did FEMA shortchange Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria?

FEMA sent nearly $100 million to areas hit by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, but Puerto Rico received only $6 million after Hurricane Maria.

Nardy Baeza Bickel-Michigan • futurity
Jan. 23, 2019 • ~3 min
hurricanes natural-disasters government fema puerto-rico society-and-culture

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