• People

Flooding and Severe Storms Disproportionately Impact Black and Brown Communities

• African American communities
• FEMA
• Flooding
• minorities
• storms

As the third tropical storm of the season, Cristobal, sits in the Gulf of Mexico picking up steam like a pinball aiming for the coast somewhere from Houston to New Orleans, a new analysis of federal flood insurance payouts shows that flooding in the U.S. disproportionately harms black neighborhoods. 

Why This Matters:  This is not new news – there have been studies pointing out this disparity for years.  Indeed, more than a year ago, the National Academies of Science (NAS) issued a report that said that “Severe storms ‘fall on the rich and poor alike,’ but low-income neighborhoods suffer more damage from urban flooding.”

• Climate Change

Climate Change Raises CA Wildfire Risk In the Midst of Pandemic

• #COVID19
• California
• California wildfires
• coronavirus
• COVID-19
• FEMA
• wildfire

According to a new analysis by Stanford University, climate change has doubled the number of extreme-risk days for California wildfires. As Scientific American explained that researchers found that temperatures rose about 1.8° F statewide while precipitation dropped 30% since 1980. That doubled the number of autumn days—when fire risk is highest—with extreme conditions for the ignition […]

• Climate Change

Rich Neighborhoods More Likely To Get Federal Flood Relief

• buyouts
• FEMA
• flood

Homeowners in flood-prone wealthy areas have a much better chance of receiving a government buyout than more vulnerable rural areas with lower-income residents, according to a study published last week.

Why This Matters:  As climate change worsens, many areas in the U.S. have increasing exposure to its dangers.  And the study revealed that because “local officials must request federal funds for buyouts — and then successfully navigate a series of bureaucratic requirements.

• Climate Change

Climate Change Poses Huge Risks to Housing Markets, Taxpayers Are Covering the Costs

• 100 year flood
• FEMA
• flood
• flood insurance
• sea level rise

  In the last 20 years, the U.S. has seen an average of almost seven natural events per year that each produce damages in excess of $1 billion. In the aftermath, not only are homeowners waiting an average of 5 years for FEMA-backed buyout of damaged homes but there’s growing concern that banks are giving […]

• Climate Change

Mayor Stephen Hagerty: Buttigieg Plan Is What Communities Need to Respond to Natural Disaster

• active shooter
• disaster
• emergency
• FEMA
• Fire
• flood
• hurricane
• tornado

  By Stephen H. Hagerty, Mayor of Evanston, Illinois Our nation is facing a heightened risk from natural and man-made disasters. Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, active shooters. We see it practically every time we turn on the television, pick up a newspaper, or glance at social media. Due to a changing climate, so-called 100-year flooding […]

• Weather

2.3 Million Unanswered Calls To FEMA

• disaster response
• failure
• FEMA

Just as Congress finally passed a $19B disaster relief law last week, then this news from Congress’ investigatory arm — The General Accounting Office — which issued a report stating, according to E&E News,that the Federal Emergency Management Agency “failed to answer 2.3 million phone calls to its disaster assistance helpline during an eight-week period […]