Disasters

Insurance Meltdown a Foreseeable Climate Disaster

Whether fires in California or flooding in North Carolina, climate disasters are revealing a major fault line in U.S. emergency response — a serious insurance shortfall that may lead to financial catastrophe. The new Issue Backgrounder explores the risks of underinsured disasters, the limits to the national flood insurance programs and FEMA aid, and the predictable scapegoating that has created solution gridlock.

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"Undocumented Workers Prepare to Clean Up L.A.’s Fires Amid ICE Raids"

"In the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that tore through Los Angeles last month, undocumented day laborers will likely make up a significant portion of the workforce tasked with clearing debris and rebuilding homes. As they navigate the environmental hazards of this work, they’re also facing the Trump administration’s escalating crackdown on immigrants."

Source: Capital & Main, 02/14/2025

Trump Funding Freeze Could Leave Communities On Their Own To Face Climate

"Removing lead paint and pipes. Cleaning up contaminated land. Monitoring pollution. Making houses more energy efficient. Installing solar panels in low-income neighborhoods. Those are some of the projects across the country that were cut off from federal funding when the Trump administration paused spending approved earlier by Congress."

Source: NPR, 02/13/2025

"NOAA Imposes Limits On Scientists, Sparking Concerns Over Global Forecasts"

"The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has placed onerous new restrictions on its scientists that people within the agency say could hamper the quality and availability of the world’s weather forecasts, among other key services."

Source: Guardian, 02/13/2025

"U.S. Aid Agency’s Climate Programs Aimed to Curb Migration. Now They’re Gone."

"Aid projects were designed to help Central Americans withstand extreme weather at home. Their end could undercut Trump’s goal of reducing  migration."

Source: NYTimes, 02/10/2025

"As War Halts, the Environmental Devastation in Gaza Runs Deep"

"The war in Gaza has taken a heavy toll on the environment, with water supplies contaminated, raw sewage pouring into the Mediterranean, once-fertile soils ruined, and the land stripped of trees. Experts say the extent of the damage needs to be tallied to help plan for a recovery."

Source: YaleE360, 02/10/2025

"Scientists On Alert As NOAA Restricts Contact With Foreign Nationals"

"Staff members at a division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been told this week to stop all contact with foreign nationals, including on international treaties and seafood catch limits, stoking confusion and fear among government scientists as the Trump administration begins to shape its vision for their work."

Source: Washington Post, 02/07/2025

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