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Natural Hazards

  • The cost of retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance

    The cost of retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.
    ALUMNI

    Retrofitting a home for wildfire resistance can cost as little as $2,000, making this approach an effective risk reduction strategy for communities. Read more

  • Updates to Wildfire Risk to Communities reveal 115 million people living with high wildfire risk

    Updates to Wildfire Risk to Communities reveal 115 million people living with high wildfire risk

    Kelly Pohl

    New climate data and methodology enhances Wildfire Risk to Communities, a free online tool for understanding wildfire risks across the United States. Read more

  • Redefining the urban wildfire problem in the West

    Redefining the urban wildfire problem in the West

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.
    ALUMNI

    Leading wildfire experts make the case that creating wildfire-resistant communities must become a much higher priority. Read more

  • Austin, Texas: Built for Wildfire

    Austin, Texas: Built for Wildfire

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.
    ALUMNI

    In this ten-minute video produced by Headwaters Economics, learn how leaders in Austin, TX came to realize the magnitude of the wildfire threat, and how they brought together diverse interests to protect their community. Read more

  • Prioritizing people in mobile home park buyouts

    Prioritizing people in mobile home park buyouts

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    Many mobile home parks face higher flood risk and relocation may be the best option. A review of 12 mobile home park buyout projects illustrates how policy innovation and resident engagement can increase success. Read more

  • Latinos face higher flood risks than other groups

    Latinos face higher flood risks than other groups

    Patricia Hernandez

    Headwaters Economics and the Hispanic Access Foundation have released a report that shows that 44% of Latinos live in counties with high flood risk, as opposed to 35% of non-Latinos. Read more

  • Los latinos enfrentan mayores riesgos de inundaciones que otros grupos

    Los latinos enfrentan mayores riesgos de inundaciones que otros grupos

    Patricia Hernandez

    Headwaters Economics y Hispanic Access Foundation han publicado un reporte que muestra que el 44% de los latinos viven en condados con un alto riesgo de inundaciones, en contraste con el 35% de los no latinos. Read more

  • The unequal impacts of flooding

    The unequal impacts of flooding

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    Headwaters Economics has conducted an analysis of flood and socioeconomic data to illustrate where flood risks disproportionality affect vulnerable populations. Read more

  • Congressional wildfire commission lays out a new approach for wildfire policy

    Congressional wildfire commission lays out a new approach for wildfire policy

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.
    ALUMNI

    A new report from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission recommends transformative approaches needed to overcome the wildfire crisis. Read more

  • FEMA’s BRIC program continues to fund innovative risk reduction – but community capacity limits access

    FEMA’s BRIC program continues to fund innovative risk reduction – but community capacity limits access

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    Headwaters Economics has analyzed the latest project selections announced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program. Read more

  • Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction

    Missing the mark: Effectiveness and funding in community wildfire risk reduction

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.
    ALUMNI

    A new analysis shows that managing the built environment is the most effective strategy at reducing wildfire risk to communities, yet it receives the least funding and policy support. Read more

  • Analysis of the first round of Community Wildfire Defense Grants

    Analysis of the first round of Community Wildfire Defense Grants

    Kelly Pohl

    An independent analysis by Headwaters Economics shows that the first round of funding from the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program prioritized high-risk, low-income communities. Read more

  • Decreasing flood risk in the Midwest with regional collaborations

    Decreasing flood risk in the Midwest with regional collaborations

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    A regional approach to flood risk can help communities pool resources and implement effective solutions. Five case studies offer lessons. Read more

  • Building for wildfire

    Building for wildfire

    Brent Powell

    In this video produced by Headwaters Economics, homeowner Brodey Simkins describes the tragedy of losing his home to wildfire and his commitment to rebuilding with wildfire in mind. Read more

  • Wildfire safety standards for Montana

    Wildfire safety standards for Montana

    Kelly Pohl

    Statewide wildfire safety standards are proven and cost effective. Montana can adopt standards to help make communities safer from increasing wildfire risks. Read more

  • Match requirements prevent rural and low-capacity communities from accessing climate resilience funding

    Match requirements prevent rural and low-capacity communities from accessing climate resilience funding

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    Many federal grant programs require communities to provide a local match, creating barriers for rural and underserved places. Read more

  • New research shows where wildfire mitigation can be highly cost effective

    New research shows where wildfire mitigation can be highly cost effective

    Kimiko Barrett, Ph.D.
    ALUMNI

    The United States is spending billions of dollars on suppressing wildfires that threaten a growing number of homes, but very little on better preparing communities before a wildfire occurs. Read more

  • Green Infrastructure: Cost-effective solutions to flooding

    Green Infrastructure: Cost-effective solutions to flooding

    Samantha Estabrook
    ALUMNI

    Green infrastructure can provide long-term, cost-effective solutions to flooding and can help communities adapt to climate change. We provide a cost breakdown for eight green infrastructure practices. Read more

  • Yellowstone Flood reveals Montana’s mobile home flood risk

    Yellowstone Flood reveals Montana’s mobile home flood risk

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    Montana’s mobile home residents face disproportionate flood risk and traditional solutions leave them behind. Read more

  • Capacity-limited states still struggle to access FEMA BRIC grants

    Capacity-limited states still struggle to access FEMA BRIC grants

    Kris Smith, Ph.D.

    Places with lower capacity are failing to get funding through FEMA’s flagship grant program, Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC). Read more

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