Shana Udvardy

Climate Resilience Analyst

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Shana Udvardy is the climate resilience analyst with the Climate & Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists. She conducts research and policy analysis to help inform and build support to increase resilience to climate change impacts. Ms. Udvardy is a Certified Floodplain Manager, and holds a M.S. in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia’s Odum School of Ecology and a B.A. from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. See Shana's full bio.

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Office of the Missouri Governor

SOS Congress: Nation’s Flood Policy Is Not Keeping Up with Climate Change Reality

September 18, 2019 12:00 PM EDT

September is preparedness month and for good reason. It is a time when the Atlantic Basin Hurricane season is at its peak.

The National Hurricane Center is now tracking three storms, Hurricane Humberto, tropical depression Imelda, and tropical storm Jerry. Preparedness month provides the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with an opportunity to focus the public and Congress’s attention on the need to prepare the public to extreme weather events. The reality is, we need to be prepared for extreme weather and climate change-related impacts year-round.

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Nebraska National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Herschel Talley
NOAA
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High waters surround homes and businesses in the small town of Bucksport, S.C. as rivers continue to rise and flooded areas expand as a result of Hurricane Florence, Sept. 24, 2018. Photo: US Army National Guard/Staff Sgt. Jorge Intriago

Hurricane Florence Lessons Underscore Need for the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2019

June 13, 2019 11:09 AM EDT

Congress has a critical opportunity now to reform the National Flood Insurance Program. Here are some of the lessons we can learn from recent hurricanes and other flood events that underscore the need. Read more >

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The USS Ashland, followed by the USS Green Bay, prepare for replenishment with the USS Wasp, not shown, in the Philippine Sea, Jan. 21, 2019. Photo: U.S. Department of Defense

10 Things the Department of Defense Needs to Include in Their New Climate Change Report

February 14, 2019 2:32 PM EDT

After a dearth of action on climate change and a record year of extreme events in 2017, the inclusion of climate change policies within the annual legislation Congress considers to outline its defense spending priorities (the National Defense Authorization Act) for fiscal year 2018 was welcome progress. House and Senate leaders pushed to include language that mandated that the Department of Defense (DoD) incorporate climate change in their facility planning (see more on what this section of the bill does here and here) as well as issue a report on the impacts of climate change on military installations. Unfortunately, what DoD produced fell far short of what was mandated.

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Photo: U.S. Department of Defense
United States Government Accountability Office
The Hill
U.S. Air Force, photo by Tech. Sgt. Liliana Moreno
U.S. Department of Defense,Photo By: Lance Cpl. Isaiah Gomez
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The State of the Union on Climate Change is Not Strong

February 1, 2019 10:02 AM EDT

Last Tuesday, Dan Coats, director of National Intelligence, spoke to the Senate Select Committee on National Intelligence about the annual 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community report. His testimony, which stressed the grave threat climate change poses to national security, was just the latest in a long line of warnings from intelligence, military and scientific experts who President Trump continues to attack. At his State of the Union speech next week, Trump is likely to continue this pattern, once again showing his disregard for the health and safety of Americans who are already grappling with the costly and harmful impacts of climate change.

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The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report
U.S. Air Force, by Tech. Sgt. Liliana Moreno, 621st Contingency Response Public Affairs / Published October 13, 2018
Department of Defense photo by Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jesula Jeanlouis
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New Defense Bill Strengthens the Military’s Flood & Energy Readiness and Saves Taxpayer Dollars—All While Addressing Climate Change

August 7, 2018 10:00 AM EDT

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (NDAA) builds to the future and reflects the reality of climate change, therefore providing a useful roadmap for Congress as they consider different infrastructure proposals. Read more >

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