One family's heartbreaking journey through Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Helene has emphasized a startling reality: nowhere in America offers true protection from increasingly severe weather events.
As Moms Clean Air Force detailed, Alex Webber and her family have endured two of the nation's most destructive storms, losing homes and businesses twice while searching for safety that doesn't exist.
What's happening?
Alex Webber evacuated New Orleans with her two-year-old daughter at 2 a.m. when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The family then spent nine difficult months displaced, losing their home and business in the $200 billion disaster.
Seeking higher ground, they relocated to Marshall, North Carolina, in 2005, believing the area offered protection from natural disasters.
Nearly two decades later, Hurricane Helene caused the French Broad River to rise over 24 feet, destroying the family's bike shop and flooding downtown Marshall.
"We were over the bridge from the river, and we could see the sign from our shop just kind of floating in the water," Alex told Moms Clean Air Force.
The psychological toll has compounded with each disaster. Alex had finally felt stable enough to read about Hurricane Katrina just one week before Helene hit.
"It was shocking how re-traumatizing it was and how close to the surface all those feelings were," she shared.
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Why is extreme weather concerning?
Experts confirm Alex's experience reflects a growing crisis: Sierra Lindsey Kos from Extreme Weather Survivors explained to Moms Clean Air Force that "people harmed by extreme weather are the fastest-growing population in the United States — and world.".
A warming planet is causing severe rainstorms that were once rare to become increasingly common, even in areas that are far from the coastlines. The financial devastation often forces families to then rely on inadequate support systems as well.
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The temperature in my home 🌡️ "It's so sad that GoFundMe is what passes for a safety net in this country," Alex said while attempting to rebuild through crowdsourced funding.
The crisis threatens public health as families face repeated displacements, ongoing trauma, and economic instability.
What's being done about climate displacement?
Moms Clean Air Force, a nonpartisan and "mom-profit" group, provides a wealth of information on protecting public health during climate disasters.
The organization advocates for congressional action to support families affected by climate disasters, with one petition urging Americans to ask Congress to provide better assistance to climate-displaced families like Alex's.
For her part, Alex emphasizes that individual actions simply aren't enough.
"People can only do so much," she stated in the article. "Corporations have to get on board, and they have to start taking responsibility for the damage they're doing."
Despite the challenges, Alex also offered hope to her fellow survivors: "I just want to tell people, and especially the poor people out in California, life comes back. It does. You gotta believe that."
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