Disaster Recovery
Weeks before the election, and some states still don't know who's allowed to vote
A blizzard of GOP lawsuits and the devastation of two hurricanes are complicating plans for administering the 2024 general election.
State CIOs take on bigger role in natural disasters
A recent survey of state tech leaders found that CIOs are increasingly an integral part of state emergency operations, tasked with making sure critical systems and communications remain available.
For Floridians in mobile homes, Hurricane Helene was a disaster waiting to happen
Trailers and manufactured homes have long served as a lifeline for struggling families. A warming world has made them a perilous place to live.
Flood-ravaged North Carolina races to restore voting access after Helene
With voting underway, election officials must mail new ballots and replace destroyed polling places.
Biden pledges federal help for states in the Southeast stricken by catastrophic storm
Biden will travel to North Carolina later this week.
US disaster relief funding is running dry as Helene roars through
Congress opted not to replenish the FEMA disaster fund before it left town this week. It’s not the first time lawmakers have left the emergency management agency short of cash.
Home insurance rates are rising fast—hurricanes and wildfires play a big role, but there’s more to it
COMMENTARY | Both insurances companies and state-run "insurers of last resort," which can provide coverage for people who can’t get coverage from private companies, are struggling.
18 years, $2 billion: Inside New Orleans’s biggest school recovery effort in history
Hurricane Katrina destroyed 110 New Orleans school buildings. How to upgrade them while honoring their architectural importance and historic heritage?
What defines a heat wave? The answer could decide where disaster dollars go.
With heat waves and wildfire smoke emergencies increasing, there's not always a clear pathway for states to access federal aid.
FEMA will now consider climate change when it rebuilds after floods
The federal agency is overhauling its disaster rules in a bid to end a cycle of rebuilding in unsafe areas.
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Lawmakers hope to use this emerging climate science to charge oil companies for disasters
Under their proposals, state agencies would use computer models to tally up the damages caused by climate change and identify the companies responsible. Then, they would send each company a bill for its portion of the destruction.
Port aid, protections for highway and election workers signed into law
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed bills supporting Baltimore-area businesses and workers affected by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge.
How hurricane response helped one state’s cyber preparedness
Local governments in Louisiana are used to having the National Guard come in during natural disasters. Today, they are growing used to the guard coming in during a cyberattack, too.
Community groups step up to help rural agencies’ disaster recovery
Organizations like long-term recovery groups can help rural agencies get housing, financial, health care and food assistance to victims of natural disasters.
FEMA to overhaul disaster aid to better help those most in need
The changes would address “the inequitable distribution of benefits” and help more low-income and homeless people.
FEMA to overhaul its disaster aid system after decades of criticism
The agency will offer upfront cash payments to disaster survivors and slash some of its infamous red tape.
How to prevent America’s aging buildings from collapsing – 4 high-profile disasters send a warning
Policies vary by state, but there are currently few widespread mandated rules for regular, structural inspections of entire existing buildings.
Climate resilient construction helps mitigate disasters
COMMENTARY | Instead of spending billions of dollars on disaster recovery every year, we should be investing in resilience from the start. That means putting in place stronger building codes that incorporate proven, affordable climate-resilient standards.
Disaster recovery projects stall nationwide as FEMA runs out of money
The agency has paused $2.8 billion in spending as it braces for a looming government shutdown.
FEMA rolls out climate adaptation loans for small and overlooked communities
The federal disaster relief agency has taken heat for steering past resilience funds to whiter, wealthier areas.
