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Urban Institute releases data to help states prep for natural disasters
A newspaper warns of the oncoming disaster as Hurricane Katrina strikes Mobile, Alabama, with a 15-foot storm surge and winds of over 110 mph. Warren Faidley via Getty Images
The data is intended to enable policymakers to identify how and where climate mitigation efforts can be improved in the future.
Increasing heatwaves, hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters across the U.S. in recent years point to a growing need for policymakers to take action to fortify their communities against the devastating impacts of climate change. A new report underscores the value of data as a tool to inform how policy and investments could help prepare states and localities for climate events.
The findings, released by the Urban Institute, come 20 years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, destroying more than 800,000 homes and killing more than 1,800 people after the storm touched down in Louisiana and impacted parts of Alabama and Mississippi.
Researchers have analyzed data from 2005 to 2024 that could help equip policymakers with information for better decision-making when it comes to disaster preparedness, said Sara McTarnaghan, principal research associate at the Urban Institute.
The data also comes in the wake of federal government efforts to remove certain data from its websites and other resources since early 2025, limiting accessibility to key insights that could otherwise inform policymakers’ efforts to address concerns like climate change and its impact on their communities, experts say.
From Brassville to... (working title) 