We need to drastically rethink what recovery looks like as the climate crisis worsens

Campaign Action

FEMA has continually failed residents whose lives have been upended by storms and whose lives may never be the same because of their lack of access to proper resources. That also goes for the uninsured or those living in areas where adequate insurance will forever stay out of reach—especially if insurance companies have any say about it. As Hurricane Ian makes its way past Florida, officials are already trying to address insurance issues by temporarily blocking companies from dropping policies in the state. There is no guarantee that, after the policy lifts on Nov. 28, insurers won’t cancel or fail to renew insurance policies.

The New York Times found that just 18.5% of those in Hurricane Ian’s path who received evacuation orders were covered by flood insurance. That number is much higher in places historically prone to flooding, but we are in an unprecedented climate crisis in which even more communities than ever are vulnerable to the effects of hurricanes not measured by the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. With storms also making their way further inland and devastating communities that have never experienced them, it’s more important than ever that we rethink what recovery and climate resilience looks like.

That process must include the most vulnerable populations caught in the crosshairs of natural disasters, including those who are incarcerated and those experiencing housing insecurity. The “proper channels”—insurance, FEMA, assistance from other states, even relief groups—simply aren’t enough to ensure that communities recover in a more climate resilient, environmentally just way. A climate emergency must be declared in order to free up the resources needed to properly aide those still recovering from natural disasters’ immediate aftermath, and those still suffering years—and sometimes even decades—later.