Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 230 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Pace of Harris County home buyouts slower than hoped for after Hurricane Harvey

Sara Willa Ernst

August 24, 2022 |

Texas Standard |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Harris County, Texas

Harris County Flood Control District voluntary buyout program, funded by FEMA, allowed the local government to purchase entire clusters of homes in floodplains that they will repurpose for public projects that will also mitigate flood damage in the future. The district has completed almost 750 buyouts, far below buyouts in previous years, but 5,000 properties are still on the buyout list. Residents receive payments for their homes and coverage of fees like closing costs, moving costs and a variety of bonuses. Some homeowners can also receive down payment assistance and closing costs on a new home.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Flood control goes green: How Houston is using nature to combat flooding

Katie Watkins

August 16, 2022 |

Houston Public Media |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

Several areas in Texas are using public green spaces and nature preserves as ways to mitigate or reduce flooding. Exploration Green is one example of a project that reclaimed nature in an urban area by creating five ponds, each of which can hold up to 100 million gallons of floodwater while also supporting native plants, animals, and trails for hiking.

Read More
Go to Original Story
WA's Nooksack River has been sounding the alarm, and people are finally listening

Rochelle Gluzman

August 15, 2022 |

InvestigateWest |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington

After being hit by two natural disasters in one year, cities, Indigenous tribes, and government agencies in Whatcom County on the Nooksack River are working together to create a new plan to deal with flood risk and salmon restoration. The Floodplain Integrated Planning team is overcoming distrust among its partners to build a more holistic plan that incorporates tested solutions like fish-friendly floodgates, levee repairs, and property buyouts to remove homes that will continue to be flooded in the future.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Raise or retreat? Home elevation aims to protect historic houses

Adrienne Mayfield

April 15, 2022 |

WAVY-TV |

Multi-Media |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Virginia

As waters continue to rise and flood homes at sea levels, some homeowners are spending thousands of dollars to raise their homes off the ground. This solution that has been tried in Charleston is expensive, but some people think it can also work in Virginia. One industry expert started the Home Raising Academy, a workforce development program, to train architects, engineers, realtors, and government officials on floodplain management, insurance, and financing for home elevations in the area.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Facing Disastrous Floods, They Turned to Mangrove Trees for Protection

Suhasini Raj

April 10, 2022 |

The New York Times |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India, Lakshmipur

Women in villages throughout India and Bangladesh are “silent climate warriors” who plant mangrove trees as a way to mitigate the effects of rising waters. While it’s not always easy to convince their family members that they should do this, they have been able to grow an additional 2,000 acres of mangroves that can reduce the speed of waves and capture carbon dioxide. They also earn income, about $430 a year, for growing and planting saplings.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How one small road is teaching Norfolk big lessons on flood mitigation

Adrienne Mayfield

March 02, 2022 |

WAVY-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Norfolk, Virginia

In Norfolk, Virginia, city planners are mitigating seasonal floods by planning for the future. City planners raised intersections on two key streets of an intersection and built a park to restore wetlands.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How Hong Kong protects people from dangerous landslides

Matthew Keegan

February 28, 2022 |

BBC |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Hong Kong

After deadly landslides in the 1970s, Hong Kong has pioneered a successful landslide risk mitigation approach. Geotechnical engineers have cataloged over 60,000 slopes and upgraded those that needed it. The most successful aspect of the mitigation approach has been an early warning system that uses a combination of data sources to determine the risk of landslides and broadcasts warnings over TV, radio, and other public sources. Deaths from landslides have dropped substantially and it has inspired similar early warning systems around the world.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Maryland Town Turns Flood Zone into a Tourist Attraction

David Kidd

January 20, 2022 |

Governing |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Frederick, Maryland

When algae overgrowth began to plague the Carroll Creek flood control project, a group of volunteers cultivated 1,000 floating canopies of plants to block the sunlight that algae need to grow, allowing the community to maintain the effective underground concrete conduits that move storm water. 250 volunteers maintain the plants throughout the year and the creek, previously made unusable by the algae, now draws tourists to see various attractions.

Read More
Go to Original Story
They Said the Tornado Would Hit at 9:30. It Hit at 9:30.

Thomas Fuller Tariro Mzezewa

December 14, 2021 |

The New York Times |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Mayfield, Kentucky

Advances in meteorological technology have helped drive down the fatality rate from tornadoes in the U.S. to a fraction of what it was a century ago. Violent tornadoes rarely evade advance detection, thanks to weather satellites, advances in radar, and a communication system to announce warnings. The deadly tornadoes that struck Kentucky and other states in December 2021 illustrate the ways in which even this system – one scientist called it "one of the most incredible success stories in applied science" – can fail, including when people ignore warnings or buildings cannot withstand the high winds.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Climate resilience hubs finding a foothold on Detroit's East Side, helping residents face disasters

David Sands

December 14, 2021 |

Model D |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In Detroit, a coalition of nonprofits and organizations are coming together to transform buildings into resilience centers. A resilience center is a hub that people can go to for help, especially in moments of a natural emergency. In Detroit, the hubs are part of a response to the effects of climate change, which can leave people displaced. Some of the things people can find in a hub include emergency services, internet access, and workforce development.

Read More
Go to Original Story