Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual Disasters | Briefing | EESI

The document outlines the difficulties small rural communities encounter when attempting to access federal disaster preparedness funding and mapping programs due to limited local government capacity. It highlights specific governance challenges in repairing critical infrastructure, using the Midland dam floods as an example, and discusses the need for workforce development and watershed management to build flood resilience.

• Small rural local governments often lack the administrative capacity and staffing required to apply for federal disaster preparedness funding, which can result in their exclusion from essential programs.
• Rural communities are dealing with a combination of stressors, including high energy costs, a struggling agriculture sector, and insufficient investment in resilient infrastructure.
• The Midland dam floods serve as a case study for the governance difficulties associated with repairing critical infrastructure in small, rural Great Lakes coastal communities.

APA

Neal, A. (2020). Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual Disasters | Briefing | EESI. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061820rural

Chicago

Neal, Abby. Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual Disasters | Briefing | EESI. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2020. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061820rural.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Neal |first1=Abby |title=Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual Disasters | Briefing | EESI |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=18 June 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061820rural |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{neal2020rural, author = {Neal, Abby}, title = {{Rural Communities Rise to the Challenge of Dual Disasters | Briefing | EESI}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/061820rural}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }