Walk outside into 100-degree heat wearing a black shirt, and you’ll feel a whole lot hotter than if you were wearing white. Now think about your roof: If it’s also dark, it’s soaking up more of the sun’s energy and radiating that heat indoors. If it were a lighter color,...
Disaster 101: Your guide to extreme weather preparation, relief, and recovery
How to prepare for a disaster Your guide to finding accurate information, emergency kits, evacuations, protecting your home, and more if you’re at risk of a hurricane, wildfire, flood, or other disaster. Lyndsey Gilpin How disaster relief and response work Your guide to the agencies and programs responsible for emergency...
The science behind Texas’ catastrophic floods
Rescue crews are scrambling to find survivors of catastrophic flooding that tore through Central Texas on the Fourth of July. It’s already one of the deadliest flood events in modern American history, leaving at least 95 people dead, 27 of whom were girls and counselors at a Christian summer camp...
How climate change is intensifying hurricanes
Extreme weather seems to make the headlines almost every week, as disasters increasingly strike out of season, break records, and hit places they never have before. Decades of scientific research has proven that human-caused climate change is making some disasters more dangerous and more frequent. The burning of fossil fuels...
How to find housing and rebuild your home after a disaster
As the number and ferocity of hurricanes, fires, and other disasters increases, so too does the number of people forced from their homes. Some 3.2 million people were displaced by disasters in 2022, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and one-third of them could not return home for more than...
What you should know about disaster recoveryÂ
Disaster recovery is not a simple process. It takes months, even years, for communities to distribute aid, rebuild, and begin to move forward. Your landscape and community has likely changed in many ways: People leave and don’t return, infrastructure and businesses are damaged or gone. And if you have lived...
Know your rights as an immigrant before, during, and after disasters
Lee esto en español. Disasters can feel overwhelming if you’re an immigrant, whether it’s because of your citizenship status, language barriers, or confusion around your rights. It’s important to remember that trusted community networks exist, along with other helpful resources. This guide offers up-to-date information on some of those resources,...
How to protect your health if a disaster strikes your communityÂ
Jesse Merrick was living in Alabama in 2017 when the Thomas Fire swallowed up his mother’s house in Southern California. Merrick, then a healthy sportscaster in his 20s, was on the next plane to help her salvage what was left of their belongings. Weeks later, back at home, he started...
Know your voting rights before, during, and after a disaster
In the weeks leading up to the 2024 presidential election, Hurricane Helene made landfall, causing extensive damage and flooding from northwest Florida to inland areas of Tennessee and North Carolina. Then Hurricane Milton hit central Florida a couple of weeks later. Polling sites across the region had to be moved...
How disaster relief and response work
There is so much to think about in the hours, days, and weeks after a disaster. Whether you’re seeking shelter, wondering how to clean up safely, or looking for financial help, there are an overwhelming number of requirements, agencies, and laws to navigate. We’ve got some tips and tricks to...