Natural Disasters

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.

  • By Chris Teale

North Carolina tried to rebuild affordable housing after a hurricane. It took half a decade.

Documents show how federal paperwork delayed the state’s recovery from Hurricane Florence and left low-income renters in the lurch.

  • By Jake Bittle, Grist

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.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Estimated 2.5 million people displaced by natural disasters in 2023 tell a story of recovery in America and who is vulnerable

Residents who don’t know how to find information about disaster recovery assistance or can’t take time away from work to apply for aid can have a harder time getting quick help from federal and state agencies.

  • By Tricia Wachtendorf and James Kendra, The Conversation

Amid rising costs, states scramble to budget for natural disasters

The U.S. set a new record for billion-dollar climate disasters in 2023. State budgets are increasingly shouldering the costs of more frequent and expensive weather events.

  • By Liz Farmer

Federal permitting hampers climate goals and natural disaster mitigation, counties say

Officials, who are calling for reforms, say environmental regulations shouldn’t lead to yearslong waits to build transmission lines or impede their ability to respond to natural disasters.

  • By Kery Murakami

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.

  • By Kery Murakami

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.

  • By Jake Bittle, Grist

Extreme weather cost $80 billion this year. The true price is far higher.

The U.S. saw 25 billion-dollar weather disasters this year—more than ever before. Next year could be worse.

  • By Jake Bittle, Grist

LGBTQ+ people are nearly twice as likely to be displaced after disasters, new research shows

For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau has collected national data on sexual orientation and gender identity related to disaster displacement.

  • By Jessica Kutz  , The 19th

Why tenants struggle more in the wake of hurricanes

Eviction filings and threats of eviction tend to increase after hurricanes, which experts say could be fueling housing instability and displacement in the wake of disasters.

  • By Siri Chilukuri, Grist

How does climate change threaten where you live? A region-by-region guide.

The U.S. government's most comprehensive report on the effects of climate change details challenges for every part of the country.

  • By Grist Staff, Grist
Featured eBooks
The State of Trust in Government
Cybersecurity in State and Local Government
Building Data Literacy in the State and Local Workforce

New flood model factors in human reactions

A new open-source flood risk model assesses communities' adaptive responses to flood events, which can help local governments prepare for flood intervention measures like altering development plans or elevating buildings.

  • By Tracey Peake, Futurity

How California and Florida are trying to stave off the home insurance crisis

Historically, the two states have had very different approaches to insuring against natural disasters. That’s changing.

  • By Liz Farmer

FEMA is being sued for making flood insurance too expensive—and too cheap

The price isn't right, according to two lawsuits against the federal agency. The suits, one of which was brought by Louisiana and Republican state AGs, claim that high insurance rates could put residents at risk of economic ruin, but low rates do little to stop developments on at-risk land.

  • By Jake Bittle, Grist

Biden administration warns of risks to air and rail safety if government shuts down

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg also said that a shutdown and proposed GOP cuts could affect efforts to fight the fentanyl epidemic, as well as disaster relief operations.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Crunch time in Congress could hit state and local programs

The legislative logjam on Capitol Hill is backing up everything from child care to disaster funding. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

How data models may shape the future of wildfire response

Data models that integrate wildfire spread and vehicle and pedestrian evacuation routes can help responder agencies get residents to safety before an incoming wildfire becomes too much to manage.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

How to get federal disaster aid: FEMA is running out of money, but these strategies can help survivors of Hurricane Idalia and the Maui fires get aid faster

COMMENTARY | After a natural disaster strikes a community, determining and documenting the extent of damage to homes and property is a crucial step in receiving financial aid to recover.

  • By Latisha Nixon-Jones, The Conversation

Treasury expands the uses of ARPA funding

Under interim rules, the federal agency would allow state and local governments to spend coronavirus relief money on natural disasters, additional transportation projects and housing, among other uses.

  • By Kery Murakami

Early detection helps states control invasive species before it’s too late

By leveraging innovative detection and monitoring tools, state and local land managers can get ahead of the environmental and fiscal consequences of the aggressive spread of non-native plants.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson