USL's Timon McPhearson Urges Action on Climate Preparedness in Politico Feature

In a recent Politico article investigating deadly floods in Texas and the broader national failure to invest in climate preparedness, Dr. Timon McPhearson—Professor at New York University and Director of the Urban Systems Lab—highlighted the growing gap between rising climate risks and U.S. disaster response systems. As a lead author of the 2023 UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, McPhearson drew connections between the failures in Kerr County and the tragedy in Lahaina, Hawaii, where the 2023 wildfires devastated communities after early warning systems failed to activate. “You can’t estimate whether an event is going to have mass casualties or not,” McPhearson noted. “If this is the kind of response that’s needed — investment in early warning systems — then where’s the money going to come from?” His remarks highlight the urgent need for investment in climate resilience infrastructure before the next disaster strikes.

Read the full article in Politico, “Why Texas’ floods are a warning for the rest of the country” by By Zack Colman, Annie Snider and James Bikales