Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Buyouts prevented some damage in Vermont's July flood, but more will be needed

Aug 14, 2023
While property buyouts helped prevent flooding in some parts of Vermont, the process is rarely easy or efficient.
A kayaker paddles through floodwaters in Montpelier, Vermont, on July 11. After recent flooding, dozens of property buyouts may be needed.
Kylie Cooper/Getty Images

Houston residents face Aug. 28 deadline to sue the federal government over Harvey floods

Jul 25, 2023
Fewer than half the homeowners entitled to file claims have done so, and the August 28 deadline is looming.
Hurricane Harvey flooded Houston neighborhoods, like the one pictured above, in August 2017.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

As Mississippi Riverfront development booms, wetlands become crucial to stave off flooding

Jun 20, 2023
Many cities along the Mississippi are redeveloping their riverfronts. But these projects are often threatened by flooding.
Mike Sertle, who manages wetlands restoration projects on the Mississippi River for Ducks Unlimited, motions how high the water can get in a roughly 250-acre restored wetland behind him in Southern Illinois on May 24.
Eric Schmid/St. Louis Public Radio

Hurricane risk will grow in the coming decades, report warns

Mar 1, 2023
A new tool shows the likelihood of wind damage by property address.
Cleared lots were all that remained of some homes in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, in late January, months after Hurricane Ian ravaged the area.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

"Our whole life is in this house": Florida residents begin recovery after Hurricane Ian

Oct 14, 2022
The economic damage from Hurricane Ian could exceed $100 billion.
An aerial view of a neighborhood in North Port, Florida, in the wake of Hurricane Ian on Oct. 1.
Win McNamee/Getty Images

Puerto Ricans who thought hurricane insurance covered flooding may have a rude awakening

Sep 20, 2022
Did wind or water cause the damage to their homes? That's up to the insurance adjuster.
In the wake of Hurricane Fiona, an estimated 80% of Puerto Rico's population still lack electricity. Many people are stranded after more than 30 inches of rain fell in some areas.
AFP via Getty Images

Yellowstone's gateway communities seeing economic impact from flooding closures

Aug 9, 2022
Some businesses are rebounding after historic flooding in the region. But others are still struggling.
The visitor's center in West Yellowstone displays part of a message tourists see all around town: Be patient, be kind, be cool.
Madelyn Beck/Mountain West News

For public good, not for profit.

Few homeowners in Kentucky's flooded areas have flood insurance

Aug 2, 2022
Nationwide, only 4 in 100 homes are covered, a FEMA official says. Without it, victims are pretty much on their own.
An aerial view of Jackson, Kentucky, on Thursday. There are only a few hundred flood insurance policies in that part of the state, a FEMA official said.
Leandro Lozada/AFP via Getty Images

U.S. schools are rebuilding on safer ground to combat flooding and climate change

Jul 18, 2022
Thousands of schools are located in areas subject to flooding, a Pew study says. Rebuilding puts schools in competition for safer land.
Needing to rebuild and re-purchase supplies after a flood can be very expensive for schools and their communities, said Matt Casale with the Public Interest Research Group. Above, volunteers clean a school in Houston after flooding from Hurricane Harvey in 2017. 
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Flood risk to rise more than 25% in the next few decades because of climate change

Feb 2, 2022
As the climate shifts, the rise in flood risk will disproportionately affect Black communities.
An aerial picture taken on Jan. 3, 2022, shows vehicles driving along a road flooded with ocean water during the "King Tide" in Mill Valley, California.
JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images