A report released by ReImagine Appalachia, a nonpartisan coalition of regional community and environmental groups, concluded that Trump administration changes in 2025 eroded the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s ability to help flood-prone West Virginia and neighboring states.

Press Release - A priority of the Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition (AFRC) passed the U.S. House [358-32] as part of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, as vital Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding was authorized for three years.

This Wednesday, the Senate will consider President Trump’s nomination for Cameron Hamilton to serve as the next Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), an agency critical for federal disaster preparedness and response.

Press Release - This month, over a dozen members, partners, and allies of the Appalachia Flood Resilience Coalition sent a letter to Senate Agriculture Committee leadership to advocate for sustainable agriculture practices in a 2026 Farm Bill.

Press Release - Today, Appalachian Citizens’ Law Center released a new report outlining how lessons learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene can help communities and governments be ready for the next major storm.

Working on this project as an undergraduate clarified that Tate wants to focus on high-impact flood events in her career and steered her toward a meaningful career path.

Press Release - On December 19th, Congressional leaders introduced the “Championing Local Efforts to Advance Resilience” (CLEAR) Act.

Next week will mark 10 months and six months since flood events devastated Southern West Virginia and Northern West Virginia, respectively, prompting federal disaster declarations and leaving a combined 12 people dead.

Working with nature can be a powerful way to mitigate and adapt to flooding.

A new multi-state coalition is pushing for federal funding and support for Ohio and other Appalachian states as major flooding events increase in the region.

In response to an increase in natural disasters in states like Kentucky, West Virginia, and North Carolina, many Appalachian artists and communities have begun implementing public art projects as a way to come together, beautify their communities, and practice resiliency through art.

The Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition is meant to engage with policymakers at the local, state and federal level. Their platform includes improving flood mapping and expanding the capacity to respond to disasters locally.

Press Release - A dozen organizations, based across seven states, have joined together to launch the Appalachian Flood Resilience Coalition to drive regional collaboration and advocacy in support of policy change and investment needed to create a resilient Appalachia.

On Feb. 25, several Appalachian Voices employees visited the town of Pennington Gap to offer help removing flood debris from Leeman Field, a popular park and community gathering area in the town. We realized quickly that our definition of debris needed to be altered.

Hurricane Helene washed out or damaged thousands of private roads, driveways and bridges in late September across multiple states, but many families are still waiting for help to rebuild access to their homes.

Lansing is a rural town in the Blue Ridge Mountains, tucked in the northwestern corner of North Carolina. Many would call it an anachronism––a place out of sync with time.

In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene ravaged Central and Southern Appalachia. Over three days, historic rainfall and extreme wind gusts caused massive flooding and landslides which decimated roads, homes, businesses and parts of communities. 

Local governments are the first to respond when natural disasters hit, but many are too understaffed to ensure long-term resiliency planning and emergency management services are not yet prepared to deal with the climate crisis’ impact in Appalachia.

Flooding affects all sectors of communities, but low-income households, especially those in Appalachia, are particularly at-risk for natural disasters.

Investments in flood mapping are crucial for identifying risks and setting flood insurance rates, yet years of disinvestment have made underrepresented Appalachia’s risks to climate disasters.