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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Facing Repeated Flooding Missouri Finds Ways to Lighten Damage
Eight of the 10 states that experienced the most flood-related disaster declarations over the past decade were inland. Near the top of the list sits Missouri, a state that has endured repeated and devastating riverine flooding, and not just in the past decade: From 2000 to 2017, the federal government issued 25 disaster or emergency declarations for floods, hurricanes, and severe storms in the... Read More
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U.S. Infrastructure Must Be Flood-Ready, State and Local Officials Say
From the recent flooding in the Midwest and the March nor’easter along the mid-Atlantic coast to the 2017 hurricanes and this winter’s record deluges in California, major floods have become all too common across the U.S. Read More
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Poll Shows Nationwide Support for Feds to Boost Rebuilding Standards
More than 7 in 10 registered voters across the U.S. support policies that will enable communities and the nation to better prepare for and respond to floods, according to a survey released Feb. 1. Read More
