Laura Lightbody
Laura Lightbody
Profile
Laura Lightbody directs The Pew Charitable Trusts’ project aimed at reducing the impact of weather-related catastrophes, such as floods and hurricanes, on the U.S. economy, communities, and environment by reforming federal flood disaster policies. She previously served as a manager for Pew’s clean energy initiative.
Before joining Pew, she was a vice president at McBee Strategic Consulting, where she worked on topics including ocean services and economics, clean energy, and pro-innovation policy. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan with degrees in history and Spanish.
Recent Work
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White House Repeals Directive That Public Infrastructure Projects Consider Flood Risk
The White House repealed a federal standard today which required that bridges, schools, fire stations, roads, and other public infrastructure be built to withstand increasing flood risks. As the administration considers a plan to improve infrastructure, eliminating the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard means losing a prudent policy that would have reduced taxpayers’ exposure to damage... Read More
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Nearly 4 Million Students Attend Schools in Flood-Risk Areas
As students go back to school this fall, nearly 4 million will attend classes in buildings that have repeatedly flooded or face a high risk of flooding. More than 6,000 public schools across the United States are located in federally designated flood zones. Read More
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Flood Standard, Critical to Public Safety, Is Also a Smart Investment
With public infrastructure across the U.S. in urgent need of repairs and upgrades, now is not the time to reverse or undermine a commonsense policy designed to reduce the impact of big floods on life, property, and the federal budget. Read More
