Disaster Resilience
From Harvey to Beryl – Northeast Houstonians Are Tackling Environmental Injustice in Disaster Recovery
Northeast Houston residents are not just confronting Hurricane Beryl’s aftermath; they’re forging a path to resilience and environmental justice through community-driven solutions. On Monday July 8, tropical Storm Beryl made its landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in Texas, producing flash flooding and tornadoes. In addition, 2.5million lost power and at least 7 people died.…
FEMA Proposes Rule Change that is a Step Toward Equity and Improving Access
On January 22, FEMA released an Interim Final Rule that proposes significant modifications to their Individual Assistance (IA) Program that provides financial assistance and direct services to eligible individuals and households affected by presidentially declared disasters. This change means that disaster survivors will have greater accessibility and more benefits to FEMA assistance. For so long,…
The National Risk Index: Funding Disaster Resilience and Mitigation in Frontline Communities
In the past few weeks alone, the United States has witnessed various climate hazards and disasters affecting vulnerable communities and straining public infrastructure and housing. Extreme heat waves are endangering lives in the South and putting immense pressure on power grids. Wildfires and tornadoes threaten rural Midwest communities, while parts of New England experienced historic…
Puerto Rico and the fight for Energy Democracy
On September 18, 2022, Hurricane Fiona hit and flooded Puerto Rico, leaving millions without power. It has been three weeks and more than 30,000 people still find themselves without power2. Hurricane Fiona comes just five years after Hurricane Maria caused a blackout throughout the island, lasting for 11 months, making it the largest blackout in…
Just Solutions Collective Analysis of FEMA Equity Plan
Primary Author: Cristina Muñoz De La Torre In this brief, we cover what is in FEMA’s Equity Plan, whether the plan will achieve equity for frontline communities, and we identify recommendations for advocates. Since the publication of Equity Action Plans from multiple federal agencies in April 2022 in response to Biden’s Executive Order 13985, many…
