As extreme weather caused by climate change increases, more must be done to ensure diverse communities are safe and resilient.
NASHVILLE— As floodwaters brought by Hurricane Helene recede in east Tennessee and family members work to identify missing loved ones, it’s increasingly clear that our communities and state are woefully underprepared to mount equitable responses to the increasing effects of climate change on severe weather.
“Our staff has been on the ground supporting immigrant family members impacted by the disaster, and it’s a reminder that Tennesseans will always come together and step up to take care of their neighbors in times of need,” said Lisa Sherman Luna, executive director of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC). “But our communities can’t bounce back from disasters like this alone. As climate change brings more frequent and more intense instances of severe weather, we need equitable investment from state and local government to make sure that all of us—no matter who we are, the color of our skin, or what’s in our wallet—have what we need to recover from disasters and take care of our families.”
TIRRC staff members who deployed to the area witnessed community members struggling to access interpretation services from local and state government agencies, as well as requests by agencies for identification and documentation from immigrant community families that hindered their ability to identify missing loved ones. These experiences represent a pattern observed when responding to other instances of severe weather, such as the tornadoes that destroyed an immigrant neighborhood in Madison, Tennessee in December 2023 and previous instances of flooding in southeast Nashville.
“From providing multilingual warnings and information before, during, and after instances of severe weather to prioritizing outreach and recovery efforts in under-resourced communities, it’s clear all cities across the state must do more to ensure they are prepared for the next time disaster strikes,” said Sherman Luna. “And while today we focus on meeting the needs of people displaced by this impact of climate change, we must also call our government to take steps to reverse the course of climate change, from investing in clean energy and common sense measures to protect our environment, so that Tennesseans have the freedom to breathe fresh air, drink clean water, and thrive for generations to come.”
TIRRC plans to release a list of policy recommendations for state and local governments to both prepare for and react to the increasing frequency of severe weather caused by climate change. Additionally, the organization will continue to support immigrant family members who are working to reconnect with or identify missing loved ones. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Helene, from the families who have been displaced by the flooding to those who have lost loved ones to those who are still desperately searching for missing friends and family members,” said Sherman Luna.
