Hurricane Michael Recovery

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Hurricane Michael recovery efforts point to the power of local generosity after overlooked disasters.

The aftermath of other big storms like Sandy and Katrina have made it clear that the recovery process takes years to complete, with the burden falling on local nonprofits once the sense of urgency outside the immediate area dissipates.

In the largely rural Florida counties where Hurricane Michael hit hard, a few nonprofits are leading the way with rebuilding efforts that bring local religious congregations, businesses, governments and independent organizations together. These new networks are coordinating efforts by national, regional and local organizations that bring their own expertise and resources.

Rethinking Recovery

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From the NY Times:  After a Caribbean Hurricane, the Battle Is Where, or Even Whether, to Rebuild. When Hurricane Irma crushed Saint-Martin two years ago, the French state vowed swift assistance. Aid has flowed in, but a fight has followed about recovery plans, exposing racial and class tension. Two excerpts:

Storm Exposes Social, and Racial, Fault Lines. Hurricane Irma made clear that natural disasters not only obliterate structures and lives; they can also expose deep socioeconomic fault lines. In Saint-Martin, a long simmering discontent — loaded with racial and class tension — is on the verge of boiling over.

The Takeaway: As storms become more destructive, hurricane recovery is as much about rethinking as it is rebuilding.

Improve Disaster Response

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The climate is changing, but our disaster-response system isn’t keeping up, experts say.  Once again, the suggestion for the disaster version of the NTSB is made.

“The disaster-response industry is probably the only industry left in the world that uses self-analysis to measure impact and make improvements,” said Thomas Kirsch, director of the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health at the Uniformed Services University.

A research-driven strategy that includes collecting data during or immediately after disasters and comparing results systematically with other studies is critical, said Mike Clarke, founder and research director of Evidence Aid, an organization that provides data on disasters to practitioners and policymakers around the world.

Credit Ratings and Climate Change

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From Pew Trusts: Climate Change Could Make Borrowing Costlier for States and Cities.

Someday soon, analysts will determine that a city or county, or maybe a school district or utility, is so vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, drought or wildfire that it is an investment risk.

To be sure, no community has yet seen its credit rating downgraded because of climate forecasting. And no one has heard of a government struggling to access capital because of its precarious geographical position.

But as ratings firms begin to focus on climate change, and investors increasingly talk about the issue, those involved in the market say now is the time for communities to make serious investments in climate resilience — or risk