The Big Picture

Water spills onto the main road of Hoopers Island in Dorchester County, Maryland, during high tide. One of the oldest settled areas in the state, the island is losing about two acres a month into the Chesapeake Bay as sea levels rise. Flood-related disasters are the costliest and most frequent natural disaster threat in the nation, accounting for $750 billion in losses from 2000 to 2017. Pew is working to advance policies that will modernize federal flood insurance, mitigate disasters, prioritize investments in flood-ready infrastructure, and promote nature-based solutions.