Types of Flooding
Nearly every corner of the US is susceptible to some type of flooding. As climate change continues to intensify, sea levels rise, and weather events get more extreme, flooding is expected to increase, so it’s important to know the difference between the three primary types of flooding: fluvial, pluvial, and coastal.
Extreme Heat & Mental Health
Hot temperatures tend to make people cranky, but heat’s impact on our mental health goes much deeper than that. In this, the 3rd article from our Extreme Heat series, we delve into the impact of extreme heat on our mental health, including how preexisting mental illness, substance use disorder, and certain medications contribute to risk, and compound the impacts. Image credit: NOAA
Extreme Heat & Physical Health
Extreme heat is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the United States - yet most of the time, heat-related illnesses and deaths can be prevented. Learn why the heat is so dangerous, who is most vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, and what you can do to keep yourself and others safe in extreme heat.
Image Credit: KTNV
Demystifying 100-Year & 500-Year Floods
100-year and 500-year floods have become more prevalent over the past few decades. Learn what these terms mean and find out how to keep your loved ones safe during a major flooding event.
Extreme Heat - The Basics
Temperatures across the globe have been increasing, leading to more extreme weather events, higher daytime and nighttime temperatures, and more widespread and longer-lasting heat waves. Learn more about the dangers posed by rising temperatures and extreme heat in this article, the first in our upcoming series on extreme heat.
Development & Disaster: Wildfire Mitigation & Land Use Planning
As hotter and drier weather from climate change increases the risk of wildfires and urban sprawl exposes more communities to potential fire disasters, all citizens should know the risks and understand the simple actions they can take to make themselves and their neighbors less vulnerable to wildfires.
Development & Disaster: Toxic Coastlines and Sea Level Rise
By 2100, sea level rise is likely to threaten thousands of hazardous facilities along America’s coastlines. 80% of these facilities are concentrated in just 7 states. Choosing to ignore this could potentially endanger millions of people unless we choose to do something about it.
Categories of Work in FEMA’s Public Assistance Program
When administering Public Assistance program grants, FEMA separates the work into two “types”: Emergency Work and Permanent Work. Within those two “types” of work, there are seven discrete “categories” of work. Learn more about FEMA’s Categories of Work and how projects are classified in the PA program.
Emergency Management Practices Around the World
How do other countries approach emergency management? Learn about the disaster recovery and risk management strategies employed by Switzerland, Japan, Ecuador, and Indonesia and how they can inform the evolution of emergency management in the US.
Advocacy Letter: Protecting Southern Maryland Fisheries Following the Potomac Interceptor Spill
On January 19, 2026, a collapse in the Potomac Interceptor sewer line caused more than 250 million gallons of untreated wastewater to pour directly into the Potomac River. While the direct flow into the Potomac has been diverted and the Potomac River Interceptor is being repaired, more can be done to improve water quality within the river and protect Southern Maryland’s critical fisheries.
How States Can Take Control of Disaster Funding in 2026
If the federal government follows through with its promise to significantly reduce the scope of FEMA or eliminate it altogether, state emergency management agencies will need to come up with a new playbook to handle largescale disasters. Who will pay for it and how?
Using Technology to Improve Emergency Evacuations
Evacuating large numbers of people is not easy. A lot can go wrong, from poorly timed evacuation orders to congested roads to gas shortages. And residents who are elderly, disabled, or without access to their own vehicle may find it difficult to evacuate at all. A new study investigates how autonomous vehicle technology might be used to improve emergency evacuations.