Press contact: Dr. Stephen F. Eisenman, Director of Strategy 626-394-3311 Email
Video library: We have the largest library of flooding footage in the U.S.
In The News
Our frontline leaders have brought visibility to their communities. Their struggles and successes have been reported by the BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, MSNBC, Bloomberg News, and US News and World Report. Below is a list of media coverage of the work of A2.
La Playa de Ponce struggles to stay afloat, ES Noticia PR, Sept. 2023 (quotes David Southgate of Un Nuevo Amanecer PR and references the technical assistance provided by Anthropocene Alliance.)
How ‘Unbuilding’ Can Help Weather Climate Disasters, US News, by Laurie Mazur, July 2023 (Profiles of A2 members South Bronx Unite (NY), Weequahic Park Association (NJ), and Lowcountry Alliance for Model Communities (SC) with quotes by Arif Ullah, Wynnie-Fred Victor Hinds, Omar Muhammad, and Harriet Festing, A2 Executive Director.)
Supporting frontline flood communities in California, featuring the Anthropocene Alliance, Water Foundation, by Andrew Fahlund and Lauryn Magno, June 2023 (Includes quotes by Harriet Festing, Executive Director.)
On Mississippi's Gulf Coast, a Local Advocate Works to Protect Underserved Communities and Wetlands, Pew Trusts, June 2023 (Includes interview with Katherine Egland, leader of EEECHO, mentioning work with A2.)
Rebecca Jim Fights to Reduce the Impact of Flooding, Pollution on Her City and Local Tribes; Advocate faces environmental harms, inequities head-on in quest for a safer Northeast Oklahoma, Pew Trusts, June 2023 (Includes interview with Rebecca Jim, leader of L.E.A.D Agency Inc.,mentioning work with A2.)
How One Woman Became the Voice for Her Neighborhood’s Flood Survivors
A grandmother helps her South Carolina community move forward, Pew Trusts, June 2023 (Includes interview with Terri Straka, leader of Rosewood Strong, SC., mentioning work with A2.)
FEMA’s failure to account for climate change leaves BIPOC communities on the brink of disaster, Prism Reports, by Ray Levy Uyeda, Feb. 2023 (Includes interviews with Lori Burns of RainReady Chatham (IL) and Gloria Horning of Higher Ground Pensacola (FL).)
Frontline 360° Is Helping Grassroots Groups Land Federal Dollars — and Building a Movement, Inside Philanthropy, by Laurie Mazur, Feb. 2023 (quotes from A2 members Camille Hadley of Little Growers inc, and Hilton Kelley of Community In-Power And Development Association Inc., and mention of A2 as founder of initiative.)
Inclusive Insurance for Climate-Related Disasters: A Roadmap for the United States, Ceres - EDF, Jan. 2023 (interviews with Jackie Jones of Reidsville GA Community Floods, Gloria Horning of Higher Ground Pensacola (FL) and Harriet Festing, Exec. Director of A2.)
Gulfport Highway Project Endangers Historic Black Communities, Environment, Mississippi Free Press, by Greg. M. Schwartz 12/17/22 (Quotes Katherine Egland of EEECHO, mentions Anthropocene Alliance funding efforts.)
NFWF, NOAA announce record $136 million for coastal resilience - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law strengthens and protects communities, enhances natural habitats, 12/6/22. (Eight members of A2 were awarded NFWF grants including Un Nuevo Amanecer (PR) and the Center for Environmental Transformation (NJ))
Uprooted: As the Climate Crisis Forces U.S. Residents to Relocate, a New Conversation Emerges, Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, by Alexandra Tempus, 7/14/22 (quotes Harriet Festing, Exec. Director of A2, Frances Acuna of GAVA (TX) and Terri Straka of Rosewood Strong (SC)).
Adapting to Chronic Flooding: Survivors’ Stories and Actions they Take! America Adapts Podcast by Doug Parsons, 6/7/2022 (quotes Harriet Festing, Exec. Director of A2, profiles Dr. Amber Bismack of Residents Working Against Huron River Flooding, MI, Dr. Gloria Horning of Higher Ground Pensacola, FL, Jacqueline Jones of Reidsville GA Community Floods, GA, and Terri Straka of Rosewood Strong, SC)
Drowning in dirt: How homebuilders are making floods worse, E&E News – Climate Wire, by Daniel Cusick, 5/9/2022 (quotes Steven Emerman, Gloria Horning of Higher Ground Pensacola, Harriet Festing, Exec. Director of A2, and April O’Leary of Horry County Rising.)
I Would Have Never Bought This Home if I Knew It Flooded, New York Times Opinion, by Elizabeth Rush (quotes Jackie Jones of Reidsville GA Community Floods, April O’Leary of Horry County Rising and Frances Acuña of Go Austin/Vamos Austin.)
Flood survivors waiting years for help from FEMA, ABC Action News WFTS Tampa Bay, March 24, 2022 (quotes Terri Straka of RoseWood Strong, SC, and Stephen Eisenman, Co-founder of Anthropocene Alliance.)
Lessons from New York: What makes a community turn against climate adaptation? To build a sea wall, you first have to build community trust, Grist, by Zoya Teirstein, Feb. 8, 2022 (quotes Harriet Festing, Executive Director of Anthropocene Alliance and Rob Moore, our partner at NRDC.)
Flood survivors urge Congress to change inadequate insurance, Grist, reprint (quotes Stephen Eisenman, Co-founder Anthropocene Alliance, Amber Bismack of Residents against Huron River Flooding, Jackie Jones of Reidsville GA Community Floods and Rebecca Jim of L.E.A.D Agency.)
‘Everything is at risk’: flood survivors urge Congress to change inadequate insurance, The Guardian, by Oliver Milman, Jan. 7, 2022 (quotes Stephen Eisenman, Co-founder Anthropocene Alliance, Amber Bismack of Residents against Huron River Flooding, Jackie Jones of Reidsville GA Community Floods and Rebecca Jim of L.E.A.D Agency.)
Disaster survivors plead with government for insurance against ferocious storms and rising seas, The Hill, by Brooke Migdon, Jan. 7, 2022 (quotes Stephen Eisenman, Co-founder Anthropocene Alliance and Rebecca Jim of L.E.A.D. Agency.)
‘We need giant steps’: Experts on impacts of extreme rainfall, drought, USA Today, Dec. 2, 2021 (quotes Harriet Festing, Executive Director, Anthropocene Alliance.)
Communities consider ‘managed retreat’ from climate change, AP News, November 12, 2021 (references Harriet Festing and Stephen Eisenman and includes Susan Liley of the Citizens Committee for Flood Relief in De Soto, MO, Hilton Kelley of Community In-Power and Development Inc, TX and Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, SC.)
Community Considers “Controlled Withdrawal” from Climate Change | Nationwide, Pennsylvania News Today, November 12, 2021 (references Harriet Festing and Stephen Eisenman and includes Susan Liley of the Citizens Committee for Flood Relief in De Soto, MO, Hilton Kelley of Community In-Power and Development Inc, TX and Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation, SC.)
Stories from those on the frontlines of sea level rise, Science Friday, October 29, 2021. (references Harriet Festing, Marin City People’s Plan, Higher Ground Pensacola, Citizen’s Committee for Flood Relief, Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, LEAD Agency, Rosewood Strong)
When Climate Change Comes to Your Doorstep. New York Times. August 31th 2021. (references the Great American Climate Migration, created by the Climigration Network and Anthropocene Alliance)
National coalition of community groups fights for flooding solutions. Yale Climate Connections. July 21st 2021. (quotes Harriet Festing, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Anthropocene Alliance.)
Hardship binds flood survivors: ‘All we have is each other’. E&E News. April 27th 2021. (quotes Harriet Festing, Executive Director and Co-Founder of Anthropocene Alliance, references Queen Quet of the Gullah/Geechee Sea Island Coalition, Katherine Egland of EEECHO and Rebecca Jim of LEAD Agency.)
Two op-ed’s written by Anthropocene Alliance (Aa) members/staff are featured prominently in a new e-book compilation by our wonderful friends at Island Press: Resilience Matters: Reimagining the Future in a Tumultuous Year.
The first article in the book – “Climate justice in frontline communities: here’s how to (really) help,” was coauthored by Hilton Kelley and Katherine Egland.
Slightly further down the list on the first page is “Monster hurricanes are now inevitable, but flooding is not,” which was written by Aa co-founder, Stephen F. Eisenman
McMaster to sign bill establishing new office for chief resiliency officer on flooding. WMBF News. September 28th 2020. (References Rosewood Strong and quotes Harriet Festing, co-founder of Anthropocene Alliance and Higher Ground.)
OPINION: Monster hurricanes are now inevitable – but flooding is not. Thompson Reuters Foundation News. September 17th 2020. (by Stephen F. Eisenman, co-founder of Anthropocene Alliance.)
Major Real Estate Website Now Shows Flood Risk. Should They All? NPR. August 28th 2020. (quotes Harriet Festing, co-founder of Anthropocene Alliance and Higher Ground.)
How to heal emotional wounds after disaster. The Center for Public Integrity. August 25th 2020 (quotes residents from several Higher Ground groups.)
Disasters are driving a mental health crisis. The Center for Public Integrity. August 25th 2020 (quotes residents from several Higher Ground groups.)
Climate justice in frontline communities: Here’s how to (really) help. The Hill. March 24th, 2020 (opinion piece by Higher Ground Council leaders, Katherine Egland and Hilton Kelley.)
Biden vs. Sanders: The Next Leg of the Democratic Race. New York Times. March 6th, 2020 (features a letter written by Aa co-founder, Stephen Eisenman).
Draining the Reservoir Can Mitigate Flooding, But Some Residents Object. Bloomberg News. February 24th, 2020 (quotes Harriet Festing of Anthropocene Alliance.)
Fill, Build and Flood: Dangerous Development in Flood-Prone Areas. US News and World report. October 8th, 2019 (quotes several Higher Ground members.)
Outside the Spotlight, Communities around the Nation Seek to Rebound from Climate-Related Disasters. The Climate Mobilization. October 4th, 2019 (features multiple Higher Ground members.)
Surging Waters: Science Empowering Communities in the Face of Flooding. AGU. September 24, 2019 (features multiple Higher Ground members.)
What 500,000 Americans hit by floods can teach us about fighting climate change.The Guardian. August 30, 2019 (features multiple Higher Ground members.)
Alliance of Flood Survivors Launch Nationwide Campaign of Community Action Called “United Flooded States of America”. The Insider, An exclusive publication for ASFPM members. July 2019.
Flood survivors join forces to change policy, fight climate change. Citizens’ Climate Lobby News. July 18, 2019.
Women Are Fighting Flooding Crisis in the US. Human Rights Watch, July 1, 2019. Article by Skye Wheeler of the Women’s Rights Division.
Stop building on floodplains, say flood-hit U.S. families. Yahoo News, June 24, 2019. By Sebastien Malo, Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Stop Building in Floodplains. The Progressive, June 18, 2019. An Op-Ed by Aa Executive Director, Harriet Festing.
Flooding in the Chicago area has been so bad in the past decade that only places ravaged by hurricanes sustain more damage. Chicago Tribune, May 10, 2019. The article highlights the story of Higher Ground member, Lori Burns.
Flood survivors are identifying the root causes of repeated flooding. Ensia, April 23, 2019. The article highlights several of the community leaders involved with our initiative, Higher Ground.
Once derided, ways of adapting to climate change are gaining steam. National Geographic, January 9, 2019. Our initiative, Higher Ground (formerly Flood Forum USA), is described as a “Match.com for flooded towns and scientists.”
The Year That Was and Wasn’t. The Morning News, December 18, 2018. Writer, Elizabeth Rush, describes “broad climate coalitions are coming to the fore from Higher Ground (formerly Flood Forum USA) to the Sunrise Movement and the push for a Green New Deal.”
Illustration top: Newsgathering, Coit Tower, San Francisco. Public Works of Art Project, 1934.