Floods, hurricanes, wildfires, drought, freezes, and tornadoes—the list of disasters that struck the United States this year covers every corner of the country.
"2017 is about to become the most expensive disaster year in US history, costing nearly $400 billion in damages," according to Umair Irfan and Brian Resnick.
"As of October, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration had counted 15 disasters with damages topping $1 billion, tying 2017 with 2011 for the most billion-dollar disasters in a year to date," they add. October was before the most recent rounds of California wildfires, however.
From these dire statistics (presented in the article in infographic form for additional reinforcement of the scale of the year's disasters), Irfan and Resnick pull several lessons about climate change. The big message: 2017 is likely a sign of things to come, call it the "new normal," as climate change takes hold.
FULL STORY: Megadisasters devastated America this year. They’re going to get worse.
Over a Quarter of US Homes Face ‘Severe or Extreme’ Climate Risk
The number of U.S. homes at risk from hurricanes, fires, or flooding is valued at close to $13 trillion.
Rebuilding After Disaster: The Role of Social Connections in Resilience
Dr. Lucy Jones emphasizes that resilience in the face of climate-driven disasters like wildfires relies on building strong social connections, which empower communities to recover and adapt to an increasingly challenging future.
Migration to Disaster-Prone Areas Persists
Regions at high risk for flooding, wildfires, and other climate-fueled disasters continue to see rapid population growth.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association