Rain made for a peaceful Thursday morning. It forced me to move a little more slowly and intentionally. February is often rainy here in Louisville, so even amid the quiet, I'm reminded of the flooding that occurred just over six months ago in eastern Kentucky.

This week we published a story by one of our community reporting fellows, Emily Hudson, that examines and reflects on the harrowing stories of those who were affected by those floods and how communities—especially those in Perry County—plan to move forward. Recovery from a disaster of this magnitude is a long, arduous process, as we've seen in southwest Louisiana—one that requires government funding, support from those who have the resources to invest and help rebuild, trust that that rebuilding will help people become more resilient as the climate changes, and comfort through the difficult choices about where and how to rebuild. 

Emily's story is strong because of her connections and dedication to her community and her expertise on the place she lives and all that she has experienced. All of the incredible projects our fellows created (which we are publishing this month) not only inspired but excited us to grow our platform to do more projects like these. But we can’t do that without you! If you live in Southerly’s coverage area (WV, VA, KY, NC, SC, TN, LA, MS, AL, GA, FL, AR, TX) and are facing an environmental issue that your community isn’t getting enough information about, we’d love to work with you. 

By clicking this link, you can learn more about how to pitch us an idea this winter/spring. If selected, you’ll be paid to work alongside us as we help to complete and disseminate your project!

With hope, 

OUR LATEST

Kentucky communities aim to rebuild sustainably after floods intensify housing crisis

By Emily Hudson

Local organizations join hands to help people who lost homes during flooding in four hardest hit counties in southeast Kentucky.

MORE FROM US

STORIES + NEWS WORTH YOUR TIME

Researchers urge developers to consider climate change when building housing

In North Carolina, researchers worry that the current housing development plans may be making their jobs "harder" as the threat of flooding continues to increase due to the affects of climate change. According to The News & Observer: "The actual number of homes built in risky parts of the state is likely higher than the paper found, said Antonia Sebastian, a UNC-Chapel Hill flood resilience professor and coauthor of the paper. That’s because many of North Carolina’s federally designated floodplains were created more than a decade ago." The story goes on to highlight other potential flooding threats.
 

Trump-era regulations are creating current environmental problems

In 2021, we wrote about the harmful impacts revisions to the Clean Water Act under the Trump administration might have. The rewrite created a rollback that gives industrial projects shorter permitting processes, such as with Twin Pines Minerals, a company planning to mine titanium near the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia. From Grist: "Scientists from the University of Georgia as well as the Fish and Wildlife Administration have warned against the Twin Pines project moving forward. In 2019, in a document obtained by the Defenders of Wildlife and shared with Grist, the Fish and Wildlife listed concerns about the project’s impact on water levels in the Okefenokee, increasing the likelihood of fires, and destroying habitats."

If you would like the take action to help protect the Okefenokee Swap, sign the petition here.

Alabama residents struggle as electric costs increase

Alabama residents are struggling to keep up with the rising costs of electric and gas bills—some of the highest in the country. Read the reporting from Opelika- Auburn News: "Critics say people are paying too much and fault the three elected Republican commissioners on the Alabama Public Service Commission for not holding formal hearings on Alabama Power’s profits. Commissioners oversaw four Alabama Power rate increases for the company’s 1.5 million customers in Alabama in 2022 without hearings or sworn testimony."