The Roots That Ward Off Disaster

Most Americans can name some of the major disasters that have afflicted the Gulf of Mexico over the past two decades: Hurricane Katrina in 2005; the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010; the drinking water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, in 2022. But communities along the Gulf Coast endure many other calamities that don’t make national news. And the effects of any individual disaster are compounded by earlier ones: hurricane debris in Florida becomes fuel for wildfires, for example.

“The Gulf is an epicenter where both the causes and consequences of climate change collide with a history of policies that have entrenched social vulnerability,” writes Samantha Montano . Emergency management agencies are tasked with helping communities prepare for and respond to disasters, but they struggle with a lack of capacity and coordination.

Montano argues that increased funding, improved staffing, and more research support for emergency management agencies could provide the roots for a more resilient region—one better able to weather the effects of a changing climate.

Read more about how building emergency management capacity and supporting disaster research could help the Gulf region thrive.

And explore our special series about energy, environment, policy, and society in the Gulf of Mexico.