US Government Shutdown Curtails Key Weather and Climate Programs
From flood insurance to environmental grants, programs that support resiliency in the face of natural disasters are expected to be cut back.
The US Capitol in Washington, DC.
Photographer: Graeme Sloan/BloombergThe closure of the federal government will curtail or halt some US climate disaster preparedness and environmental programs — and even potentially delay real estate transactions within the nation's flood zones.
That’s because the major source of flood insurance for millions of homeowners is among the non-essential government services caught up in the shutdown, and new policies can't be initiated while it’s ongoing. The furloughs hitting government offices across the country, meanwhile, are expected to be particularly severe and extensive at the Environmental Protection Agency.