Shelters Stay Empty as Isaias Barrels Up the East Coast
Concerns over COVID-19 have officials urging evacuees to stay with friends and family or at hotels
Stories by Thomas Frank
Disaster Management Is Too White, Official Tells Congress
More diversity is needed to reverse long-standing inequities in disaster response policies
Coronavirus Rages on Coasts as Hurricane Fears Rise
Dramatic increases in storm-prone areas will complicate evacuation, sheltering and recovery efforts
With Sea Level Rise, High-tide Flooding Spikes Along U.S. Coasts
Fifteen communities set records for the number of days with such floods last year
More U.S. Homes Are at Risk of Repeat Flooding
The significant growth in such properties has come despite billions spent to protect them
Disaster Loans Entrench Disparities in Black Communities
Systemic inequities such as credit scores mean Black home and business owners receive fewer federal relief loans than white ones
Tougher Building Codes Would Avert Major Losses, FEMA Study Shows
In California and Florida alone, such codes have prevented $1 billion a year in structural damage
Firefighters Will Attack Blazes Quickly to Avoid Coronavirus
A fast fire response will limit the need for mass evacuations and encampments
Flooding Disproportionately Harms Black Neighborhoods
The impacts of floods can exacerbate existing racial and social inequality
Government Watchdog Chides FEMA for Lax Flood Enforcement
The agency fell well short of its goal of evaluating local flood control efforts every five years
Removing 1 Million Homes from Flood Zones Could Save $1 Trillion
Expanding buyout programs would be more cost-effective than other measures, such as elevating houses or flood-proofing basements
Storm Surge Maps Will Warn Coastal Residents of Potential Deadly Floods
The new National Hurricane Center maps will show the expected depth of storm surge from tropical systems
2020 on Track to Rank in the Top 5 Hottest Years on Record
The first three months of the year were the second warmest in 141 years of record keeping
FEMA Report Warned of Pandemic Vulnerability Months before COVID-19
Posted in late July, the document foresaw many current impacts, including overwhelmed hospitals and disruptions in essential services
Homes in U.S. Flood Zones Are Vastly Overvalued
Requirements to disclose flood risk could help discourage development in inundation-prone areas
Studies Sound Alarm on “Badly Out-of-Date” FEMA Flood Maps
The billions of dollars needed to update the maps would be offset by the flood damage avoided, experts say
National Security Experts Call for Eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
To avoid disruptions that could lead to conflict and displacement, the world must rapidly reach net-zero emissions, a new report says
Climate Change Once Again Left Out of Trump’s Federal Budget
The administration’s proposed spending for 2021 repeats previous calls for steep cuts to environmental programs
Second Year of Major Spring Floods Forecast for U.S. Heartland
Swollen rivers could impede levee repairs, inundate homes and delay the planting of crops
U.S. Army Corps Looks to Avoid Repeat of 2019 Midwest Floods
The Corps will study how to improve the vast flood control systems along the lower reaches of the Missouri River
