Accessing Expedited Capital After Winter Storm Fern: A Practical Guide for State and Local Leaders
As communities across the South—from Texas and Oklahoma through the East Coast—dig out from Winter Storm Fern's historic damage, a familiar pattern is emerging: time is the most expensive commodity . Businesses need to reopen, infrastructure must be restored, and communities expect visible progress—often long before federal reimbursements arrive. Winter Storm Fern has exposed what disaster finance professionals already know: most state and local governments are not structure
5 min read
Winter Storm Preparedness for Community Leaders
Preparing Communities for Severe Winter Weather: A Leadership Playbook for the Days Ahead If you don't have time to read the blog, here's a quick checklist to review. Winter Storm Fern (always a bad sign when they name a storm), is forecast to bring snow, ice, freezing rain, and prolonged power and transportation disruptions to large portions of the South, Southeast, and East Coast. For community leaders, this is not just a weather event. It is a continuity test for local go
4 min read
Protecting Your Small Business from Winter Storm Fern
A powerful winter storm—now forecast to impact millions across the South, Southeast, and East Coast —is bearing down on states from Texas and the Plains through Tennessee, the Carolinas, Virginia, and into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Snow, sleet, freezing rain, dangerously cold temperatures, and widespread ice accumulation are expected from this weekend into early next week. Officials warn that tree limbs and power lines could come down under the weight of ice, leading t
3 min read
Building Community Continuity for 2026 and Beyond
By Stephen Jordan Communities today face disruptions that never trigger a federal disaster declaration — cyber incidents, heat waves, housing shocks, supply-chain interruptions, failing infrastructure, and more. Traditional disaster response frameworks were not built for this reality. They activate after something breaks. But what communities increasingly need is an approach that protects lives, livelihoods, and living environments every day , not only in crisis. This broader
2 min read
The ISD Academy: A Commitment to Our Communities
By Stephen Jordan, CEO, Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD), and David Dodd, CEO, International Sustainable Resilience Center (ISRC) We have stared down America's breaking points—not from textbooks, but from the rubble. For Stephen, it was Superstorm Sandy causing trees to crash in the backyard leaving the family huddled with neighbors during a week-long blackout. Housing repairs took months. David is so committed he lost a leg working on the economic recovery of Puer
4 min read
Thanksgiving and the Revitalization of American Community
By Stephen Jordan As we gather around tables this Thanksgiving, we're participating in a time-honored celebration of community in the United States today. Being together, appreciating the many blessings that we have been given - and not taking them for granted – are part of what bind us together, not just as families or friends or neighbors, but as Americans. However, by some indicators, the fabric of our communities is coming apart. Do you know that only 26% of Americans
6 min read
