For the people in the back

Just got to the fluoride episode of Parks and Rec in our rewatch and I'm still dumbfounded we're actually living it now.

These days though, a Parks and Rec rewatch can move mountains. Hurts my ribs too because I can’t stop crying laughing.

Not all shade is equal when to comes to cooling the human body, ASU professor says One of the main goals of shade is to get us out of the sun and cool us down. And while that can make us feel better on a hot day, it can also be important for our health.

One of the main goals of shade is to get us out of the sun and cool us down. And while that can make us feel better on a hot day, it can also be important for our health.

The work doesn’t stop

Emergency alerts/warnings followers: I'm looking to speak with experts about what the funding cuts to public broadcasting mean for this space. If you're interested in talking on this topic, please send me a message!

The US could see a 30-40% decline in new international student enrollment, resulting in nearly $7 billion in lost revenue and more than 60,000 fewer American jobs. https://www.nafsa.org/fall-2025-international-student-enrollment-outlook-and-economic-impact

Major late summer heatwave for the Southwest Will bring increasing fire danger as well

Yeah, it's August in the Southwest - but it's not supposed to be THIS hot. Some all-time records this week - and BTW, of the top 25 hottest Aug afternoons in PHX, 23 have been since 2000. A trend, perhaps? For a deep dive on the SW heatwave and Western drought/fire danger: tinyurl.com/mtj8bhc9

Cheers!

Great stuff

Experts say Texas is ignoring root cause of deadly July floods: unregulated development Our analysis of FEMA flood maps in the Austin area show many homes devastated by July floods were in high-risk areas. Experts say the state must …

Getting down to brass tacks: We won't solve our flood issues without better land-use planning. I spoke with Bayliss Wagner from the Austin American-Statesman about the root causes of risk in many Texas (and American) communities.

www.statesman.com/story/news/l...

Venezuelan Little League team denied entry into US amid Trump travel ban The team will not be able to play in the Senior League World Series in South Carolina.

Another death knell to soft diplomacy. What is the downside to allowing 13 to 16 year olds entry into the U.S.? Yes, let's create a generation of American-hating kids rather than allowing them to experience sports competition that can build comradery and compassion toward others around the world.

Why risky coastal real estate continues to attract buyers Even after floods and hurricanes, "people still want to live in paradise"

Why does risky coastal real estate keep selling despite rising seas, flooding, and insurance chaos?
It’s not just denial — it's debt, disaster aid, and disconnection.

New from me:
open.substack.com/pub/susanpcr...

Cool stuff! Congrats!

Powerful plenary session on Disasters as Turning Points with rockstar speakers #HazWS2025

Kicking off the @hazcenter.bsky.social workshop with an introduction by the wonderful and esteemed Lori Peek #HazWS2025

Are we great again

FEMA removed dozens of Camp Mystic buildings from 100-year flood map before expansion, records show Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain.

Federal regulators repeatedly granted appeals to remove Camp Mystic's buildings from their 100-year flood map, loosening oversight as the camp operated and expanded in a dangerous flood plain.

This Texas county sought disaster resilience help for years. Now its too late. Amid the Lone Star State's historic floods, the Trump administration is retreating from disaster preparedness.

In light of the devastating Texas floods, it's relevant that the Trump admin recently clawed back nearly $900 million in grant funding already promised but not yet disbursed to states for improvements to stormwater systems and building flood control systems. www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

YouTube video by Alex Garcia GUADALUPE: Queen of the Rivers

I also found this was very interesting and relevant: youtu.be/YP0wGH0k4Nc?...

“Disasters are a human choice”: Texas counties have little power to stop building in flood-prone areas Experts suggested that more data and education are needed as Texas and the rest of the country build in known flood plains.

How can we cut the Gordian knot of flood risk in places with fast growth and little appetite for regulation? www.texastribune.org/2025/07/09/t...

The Texas Flash Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come Climate change is making disasters more common, more deadly and far more costly, even as the federal government is running away from the policies that might begin to protect the nation.

“the weather in Texas was 7% wetter on July 4 than it was before climate change warmed that part of the state, and natural variability alone cannot explain this very exceptional meteorological condition.”
www.propublica.org/article/texa...

In Brief: The Texas Floods and Land Use Regulation Why are RV parks and camp cabins in the floodplain?

I wrote a few thoughts about the Texas floods, precarious housing, and land-use regulations: open.substack.com/pub/andrewru...

My PhD students Yilei Yu and Alex Cliff have defended their dissertations, producing outstanding research at the intersection of spatial data science and flooding!

Thanks to committee members @sarameerow.bsky.social (co-advised Alex), Melanie Gall, and Aaron Flores.

#PhD #SpatialDataScience

Many congratulations!

Do you use Landscan or Intelligent Dasymetric Mapping?

Disaster Resilience Deputy Company Description: Work with Us. Change the World.At AECOM, we're delivering a better world. Whether improving your commute, keeping the lights on, providing access to clean water, or transforming s...

AECOM is hiring for a Disaster position out of Austin, Texas. Sounds like a great opportunity! jobs.smartrecruiters.com/AECOM2/74400...

Addressing data gaps and disparities in access to air quality networks: a case study of Maricopa County, Arizona - Population and Environment U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitors are crucial for standardized air quality measurements but often fall short in coverage, leaving many areas without adequate monitoring. The growing ...

New 📝 led by SGSUP PhD student @alamingis.bsky.social investigating the distribution of EPA monitors and PurpleAir sensors in Maricopa County and what social characteristics are associated with increased or decreased access to these air quality networks. Link below:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

planning framework for flood-heat hazard synergies and tradeoffs

New paper led by @saidasobhani.bsky.social proposing a planning framework for navigating synergies and trade-offs between heat and flood resilience & applying it to evaluate Baltimore, MD's network of plans. Part of our team's new work on multihazard resilience authors.elsevier.com/c/1lIRw7t2zZ...