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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Harvey and Irma's Lasting Lesson America Needs Stronger Flood Policies
Superlatives can only begin to capture the severity of this hurricane season. Hurricane Irma churned for days as the strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. It drenched states in the Southeast after leaving a trail of destruction across the Caribbean and Florida. This latest catastrophe comes only two weeks after Hurricane Harvey redefined flooding disasters in the United States. Read More
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To Help Future Hurricane Victims, Congress Must Fix Flood Insurance
Today, as part of a bill authorizing aid to Hurricane Harvey victims, Congress passed a three-month extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to keep it from expiring on Sept. 30. At the height of an active and deadly hurricane season, the extension ensures that the NFIP will continue providing flood insurance and processing claims for victims of Hurricane Harvey and other floods,... Read More
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Harvey Recovery Efforts Will Take Years. Fixing Flood Insurance Shouldn’t.
With Tropical Storm Harvey continuing to unleash unprecedented rainfall across the Houston region and other Texas communities, it is clear that this storm will go down as one of the most destructive weather events ever to strike the United States. Read More
