Laura Lightbody
The Pew Trusts
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Laura:
Some States Continue With Flood Resilience Planning Despite Coronavirus Challenges
Just two days after announcing coronavirus stay-at-home orders, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) signed legislation establishing a resilience office. → Read More
New Hurricane Season Should Prompt Congress to Fix Old Flood Policy
As another hurricane season begins, Congress should act quickly to fix the heavily indebted National Flood Insurance Program, which covers 5 million Americans in 22,000 communities. → Read More
U.S. Infrastructure Must Be Flood-Ready, State and Local Officials Say
From the recent flooding in the Midwest and the March nor'easter along the mid-Atlantic coast to the 2017 hurricanes and this winter's record deluges in California, major floods have become all too common across the U.S. → Read More
Poll Shows Nationwide Support for Feds to Boost Rebuilding Standards
More than 7 in 10 registered voters across the U.S. support policies that will enable communities and the nation to better prepare for and respond to floods, according to a survey released Feb. 1. → Read More
3 Reasons the U.S. Needs a Flood-Ready Building Policy
From record-breaking hurricanes to unprecedented inland deluges, the increasing losses from major flooding in the U.S. over the past several decades show that planners and policymakers continue to underestimate the risks from these extreme events. In fact, just last year, flood-related disasters caused hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage across America. With lives, property,… → Read More
Where It Rains, It Floods
Last year tied the record for the most billion-dollar natural disasters in the U.S. While no one knows what extreme weather will bring in 2018, Americans across the country should be ready for flooding, based on the frequency and magnitude of such events over the past decade. A look at the Federal Emergency Management Agency database of Disaster Declarations over that span reveals two… → Read More
Where It Rains, It Floods
Last year tied the record for the most billion-dollar natural disasters in the U.S. While no one knows what extreme weather will bring in 2018, Americans across the country should be ready for flooding, based on the frequency and magnitude of such events over the past decade. A look at the Federal Emergency Management Agency database of Disaster Declarations over that span reveals two… → Read More
Every $1 Invested in Disaster Mitigation Saves $6
With the damage from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma estimated at $290 billion, it is clear that the nation must do more to better protect our communities from natural disasters. One way to do that is by anticipating the threats and acting in advance to reduce risk and limit losses. These are investments with proven returns. → Read More
House Passes Flood Insurance Reform, Offering New Solutions for Federal Program
A U.S. House of Representatives bill passed today would repair numerous holes in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which provides federally backed insurance to roughly 5 million policyholders across the country. But the legislation falls short of fully fixing the NFIP, which has drawn widespread criticism as being both too generous in its subsidized rates for risky properties and too… → Read More
On Superstorm Sandy Anniversary, a New Call for Flood Policy Reform
With some Southeastern states and U.S. territories still recovering from the most furious hurricane season in recent memory, many residents of the Northeast are recalling the devastation that Superstorm Sandy brought to that region five years ago. → Read More
Insurance Is a First Line of Defense for Flood Victims
As the waters recede in communities affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, many flood victims are confronting the difficult decisions of how and where to rebuild their homes and their lives. → Read More
Recent Hurricanes Stress America’s Crucial—and Aging—Infrastructure
It will take months to sort out the full extent of impacts from hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, but these storms have already made this much clear: Communities and infrastructure in many parts of the U.S. are ill-prepared to handle major flooding. → Read More
FEMA Proposes Partnering With States to Prepare Before Disasters
Weeks after Hurricane Irma made landfall in South Florida, it’s clear that the storm ranks among the most destructive to hit the state. More than a dozen people died, millions went without power, and it caused an estimated $25 billion to $35 billion in damage to insured properties in affected states, including Florida. → Read More
Fierce Hurricane Season Again Shows Value of Natural Flood Barriers
Wherever it rains, it can flood. After seeing the intensity of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria—Harvey alone dumped 33 trillion gallons of rain on Texas—coastal and inland areas around the country are seeking ways to better withstand floods. And one way to do that is to preserve and expand natural barriers that help protect communities from floodwaters. → Read More
Hurricane Harvey Highlights Importance of Preparing for Storms
Natural disasters tend to bring out the best in people. Media and other eyewitness reports during and after hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria showed residents helping each other weather the storms and their aftermath, often traveling long distances to do so. While these efforts are often heroic, they could become less necessary with better preparation. That’s why the United States needs a… → Read More
To Help Future Hurricane Victims, Congress Must Fix Flood Insurance
Today, as part of a bill authorizing aid to Hurricane Harvey victims, Congress passed a three-month extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to keep it from expiring on Sept. 30. At the height of an active and deadly hurricane season, the extension ensures that the NFIP will continue providing flood insurance and processing claims for victims of Hurricane Harvey and other floods,… → Read More
Harvey Recovery Efforts Will Take Years. Fixing Flood Insurance Shouldn’t.
With Tropical Storm Harvey continuing to unleash unprecedented rainfall across the Houston region and other Texas communities, it is clear that this storm will go down as one of the most destructive weather events ever to strike the United States. → Read More
White House Repeals Directive That Public Infrastructure Projects Consider Flood Risk
The White House repealed a federal standard today which required that bridges, schools, fire stations, roads, and other public infrastructure be built to withstand increasing flood risks. As the administration considers a plan to improve infrastructure, eliminating the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard means losing a prudent policy that would have reduced taxpayers’ exposure to damage… → Read More
Nearly 4 Million Students Attend Schools in Flood-Risk Areas
As students go back to school this fall, nearly 4 million will attend classes in buildings that have repeatedly flooded or face a high risk of flooding. More than 6,000 public schools across the United States are located in federally designated flood zones. → Read More
Flood Standard, Critical to Public Safety, Is Also a Smart Investment
With public infrastructure across the U.S. in urgent need of repairs and upgrades, now is not the time to reverse or undermine a commonsense policy designed to reduce the impact of big floods on life, property, and the federal budget. → Read More