Andrew Rumbach
@andrewrumbach.bsky.social
Urban & regional scientist. Co-lead of the Climate & Communities program @urbaninstitute. Research & policy analysis on disasters, disaster recovery, precarious housing, land use, and adaptation. Sourdough enthusiast. https://andrewrumbach.substack.com
“We are seeing a huge shift in areas of extreme risk and increasingly severe weather” - but I was told by skeptics that disaster losses are purely about asset values and land use decisions?
I spoke with the Christian Science Monitor about the challenges that Cameron Hamilton faces as he assumes the leadership of FEMA. Long conversations always get reduced to sound bites, so I would add back some context... 1/2 www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/...
Trial by fire – and flood: A new chief pursues FEMA reforms
Cam Hamilton faces a test as the new Federal Emergency Management Agency head, addressing rising needs while letting local responders take the lead.
csmonitor.com
"No I'm only kidding" people.com/trump-tells-...
Trump Tells Crowd in North Carolina They Won’t Get FEMA Funding If They Don’t Vote for Republican Candidate
While at a rally in North Carolina to support Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley, President Donald Trump said if Whatley wasn’t elected he’d withhold FEMA funding from the state.
people.com
I never made it past the first chapter but @andrewrumbach.bsky.social did. Hopefully we never need to talk about this man ever again. andrewrumbach.substack.com/p/i-read-dav...
I Read David Richardson’s Book So You Don’t Have To
There is a character in the 4th season of The Wire, Lieutenant Marimow, who was sent into the major crimes unit to undermine their investigation of the drug trade and its connections to local politics...
andrewrumbach.substack.com
Dr. Samantha Montano@samlmontano.bsky.social · 3w agoSORRY BUT I JUST WENT TO LOOK AT THE COVER... "THE POPE OF FEMA" There's no fucking way.
This piece by @renlarson.bsky.social, @propublica.org and Citizen-Times on North Carolina mobile home parks and Hurricane Helene is excellent. Carefully unpacks the layers of complexity that make easy solutions hard to come by: www.citizen-times.com/story/news/2...
Why NC's mobile homes keep ending up in harm's way
Residents of a riverfront trailer park have lost homes and loved ones in multiple storms. A policy gap puts mobile home residents in harm’s way again and again.
citizen-times.com
I spoke with with @climateconnections.bsky.social about the unique challenges facing mobile home park residents after disasters. Many parks are located on hazard prone land, and land-use regulations prevent them from relocating: yaleclimateconnections.org/2026/09/afte...
After a flood, some manufactured home residents sometimes have nowhere safe to rebuild » Yale Climate Connections
Zoning restrictions can prevent new manufactured home parks from opening in safer locations, forcing disaster survivors to return to flood-prone areas.
yaleclimateconnections.org
Very big news for Colorado and especially Beulah, which got hit very hard by the Aspen Acres fire: www.cpr.org/2026/09/04/c...
Colorado getting federal disaster aid funds for Aspen Acres and Gold Mountain fires
The public assistance major disaster declaration unlocks federal funds for recovery efforts.
cpr.org
There are numerous paths to preserving and protecting affordability in manufactured home parks. In Washington, Habitat for Humanity is purchasing parks to manage as a non-profit housing provider: www.opb.org/article/2026...
Vancouver Habitat for Humanity buying mobile home parks to protect affordable housing
State funding will help lock down rents in a sector that’s become a target for corporate investors.
opb.org
Today we are launching The Climate Commons, a resource for community & economic development practitioners to take climate action and for resilience-focused colleagues to learn about community development and its vital role in equitable climate action: theclimatecommons.substack.com/p/welcome-to...
Welcome to the Climate Commons
A new resource for community and economic development practitioners
theclimatecommons.substack.com
FEMA is the lead story on @npr.org today, a piece on David Richardson and his new (self-published) book. I spoke with her about Richardson's poor understanding of the agency and the more credible efforts at reform coming from different places along the political spectrum: www.npr.org/2026/09/03/n...
Inside the failed mission to eliminate FEMA
David Richardson worked to eliminate the country's top disaster agency when he led FEMA last year. Now, he says the administration has abandoned that goal.
npr.org
I joined @louiewoodall.bsky.social from @climateproof.news to talk about the future of FEMA and why the ROAD to Housing Act is a big deal for disaster policy: www.climateproof.news/podcast/s/cl...
Andrew Rumbach On FEMA's Reform Reckoning
Few public organizations have attracted the ire of the Trump administration like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). America’s premier disaster response unit found itself the target of rig...
climateproof.news
I've had the pleasure of knowing several smokejumpers in my career. A lovely profile from the @newyorker.com: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
The Art of Leaping Out of Planes to Fight Wildfires
Since the nineteen-forties, smokejumpers have been parachuting into remote parts of the U.S. to contain dangerous blazes.
newyorker.com
My longtime fandom of MRESteve has finally intersected with work...the man, the myth, the legend reviews the FEMA US Survivor daily ration: www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWXc...
2023 US Survivor Daily Ration MRE Review Meal Ready to Eat Taste Testing
YouTube video by Steve1989MREInfo
youtube.com
Disaster relief is often concentrated in the early days after disasters, but the financial stress can last for months or years. In our newest research article, we share findings from in-depth interviews with 20 families impacted by Hurricane Helene: www.urban.org/research/pub...
Households Are Struggling to Recover Financially After Hurricane Helene. Here’s Why.
First-hand accounts from households affected by Hurricane Helene illustrate that postdisaster financial recovery is a long, uncertain process.
urban.org
There is a lot we don't know about the Nepal Tibet flood. Here are some things I suspect, as someone who studies risk just a couple hundred miles away: andrewrumbach.substack.com/p/seven-expe...
Seven expectations about the Nepal & Tibet flood, from a long-time student of disaster risk in the region
Like many of you, I’ve been watching in horror as video clips of the disaster unfolding along the Nepal and Tibet border have gone viral.
andrewrumbach.substack.com
Indiana received a major disaster declaration today, one of the fastest decisions under the 2nd Trump Administration. Here are the counties eligible for individual assistance:
The scenes out of Nepal - what seems like a dam break or GLOF - are absolutely horrifying
Indiana got hammered by flooding and straight line winds last week. How bad is the disaster, relative to the past? Pretty bad. substack.com/home/post/p-...
Putting Indiana’s Historic Flooding in Context
A ‘threshold’ state suffers one of its worst disasters.
substack.com
Colleagues in Indiana or at FEMA Region 5: any word on the damage estimate included in the declaration request?
I spoke with Madison Iszler at the San Antonio Express-News about the unique vulnerabilities of people living in recreational vehicles to flash floods, and what changes might be needed in places like the Texas Hill Country: www.expressnews.com/news/article...
Will floods forever change Hill Country's RV, camping culture?
People in RVs and cabins were among the most vulnerable during the floods. Officials, park operators and RV owners are trying to figure out how to move forward.
expressnews.com
And we have our first permanent FEMA Administrator of the 2nd Trump Administration…Cameron Hamilton was confirmed today along with many other appointees.
The West Virginia flash floods highlight the difficulties that rural communities face after disasters. We examine three dynamics at play: low media attention, the time from disaster until federal declaration, and the unusually high number of manufactured homes. www.urban.org/urban-wire/w...
West Virginia Flash Floods Require Recovery Strategies Tailored for Rural Communities
West Virginia’s July flash floods show how rural disasters bring distinct challenges that require tailored responses.
urban.org
Cameron Hamilton's confirmation to lead FEMA was approved out of committee, with one Democrat joining Republicans voting yes. That puts him on track to be the next Administrator, sometime in the next couple of weeks or potentially after the August recess. www.newsfromthestates.com/article/onet...
Onetime acting FEMA chief fired by Trump now on track to be confirmed to head agency
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday moved one step closer to confirming the first administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency since President Donald Trump took office last year. Th...
newsfromthestates.com
Our upcoming special issue in Urban Studies on manufactured is a major step towards giving this oft-neglected housing the research attention it deserves. More later on the excellent contributions, but you can now read the open access editors that sets the stage. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Manufacturing the urban: Situating manufactured housing and manufactured home communities in urban studies and charting a course for research - Zachary Lamb, Esther Sullivan, Andrew Rumbach, 2026
Manufactured housing (MH) provides a key source of affordable housing in the United States and elsewhere, including in Canada and Australia. In this editors’ in...
journals.sagepub.com
JUST PUBLISHED: The [*Open Access*] introduction for the forthcoming special issue of @urbanstudiesjournal.com on manufactured housing. Such fun to work on this with @andrewrumbach.bsky.social, Esther Sullivan & all the authors. doi.org/10.1177/0042... More to come as we approach the pub date.
Manufacturing the urban: Situating manufactured housing and manufactured home communities in urban studies and charting a course for research - Zachary Lamb, Esther Sullivan, Andrew Rumbach, 2026
Manufactured housing (MH) provides a key source of affordable housing in the United States and elsewhere, including in Canada and Australia. In this editors’ in...
doi.org
Last reminder, we are hosting an event tomorrow online and at Urban about the many intersections between community development & climate action. We will present new findings from a survey of 450 CED leaders and have a terrific group of panelists from across the sector. www.urban.org/events/mobil...
Mobilizing Community and Economic Development to Address Climate Change: Paths for Transformative Action
Community and economic development organizations are on the front lines of climate change—protecting housing, supporting small businesses, and strengthening …
urban.org
The time between a disaster and recovery funding from HUD varies wildly, from as little as 60 days to as long as 600, depending on Congress. The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, now the law of the land, is meant to change that. I break it down here: substack.com/home/post/p-...
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is Law: What Comes Next For Disaster Recovery?
On June 23rd, the U.S.
substack.com
What better way to spend your Sunday than to read 2,500 words on the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act? The next period will hugely shape how the U.S. government supports communities after disasters. My breakdown of the law and key questions moving forward: andrewrumbach.substack.com/p/the-21st-c...
The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is Law: What Comes Next For Disaster Recovery?
On June 23rd, the U.S.
andrewrumbach.substack.com