A network of survivors
Extreme weather is hitting more people with each passing year. Thirty-eight percent of Americans say their community has been affected by severe storms, floods or fires in the past year, according to Gallup. So when I set out to write about those whose lives had been upended by extreme weather, I knew it wouldn’t be too hard to turn up examples. But what I found was more than just a smattering of disconnected stories. Instead, I discovered a network of survivors who were providing one another emotional support, sharing tips about insurance claims and even becoming close friends. In a new story for The New York Times Magazine, I write about a half-dozen individuals from across the country, each of whom is working to recover from a climate-fueled disaster and helping others in turn. They are all members of a group called Extreme Weather Survivors. It’s partly a support network, partly an advocacy organization and, for some, a new sort of extended family. Extreme Weather Survivors was co-founded by Chris Kocher and Sierra Lindsey Kos a few years ago. Kocher is a professional social organizer who had helped set up networks for survivors of gun violence and the Covid pandemic. Kos was galvanized by the 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon, during which her newborn son was hospitalized with a serious illness. Kos had to drive through the burning landscape with him amid ash and red skies. She remembers being gripped in that moment by a feeling that she couldn’t keep her son safe from climate disaster; it was happening everywhere. Since 2023, Kos and Kocher have been reaching out to people who have experienced personal or property loss as a result of floods, fires and storms.
Among those they connected with was Amy Dishion, whose husband, Evan, died of severe heat stroke in 2022 after getting lost during a hike outside Phoenix. Dishion told me her life had been shattered by Evan’s death, but that she had found some solace in the connections she’s made with other survivors, including Alan and Cindy Bickford, whom she met this June in Washington during a lobbying day organized by Extreme Weather Survivors. The Bickfords, who live on Pine Island, off Fort Myers, Fla., evacuated their home ahead of Hurricane Ian in 2022. When they returned, they found their house swamped with ankle-deep mud. The ocean had destroyed the walls and the house had to be stripped to the studs. Since then, they’ve spent more than $60,000 out-of-pocket on repairs, and their flood insurance has more than doubled, pushing them into debt. They’ve also become experts in dealing with the byzantine paperwork that comes with insurance and FEMA claims, which led them to become fast friends with Derek Sample, a music producer from Los Angeles. Sample’s home and recording studio, where he has worked with artists like Prince and Dr. Dre, were badly damaged by the Eaton fire in January 2025, and he turned to the Bickfords for help navigating the rebuilding process. This summer, Sample visited the Bickfords in Florida, and over margaritas and ribs, they traded notes about insurance claims. Although Sample and the Bickfords’ lives were in many respects wildly different — opposite coasts, different social universes and different disasters — their common experiences recovering from fire and a hurricane made them kindred spirits. The chain of connections goes on from there. There is grace and humanity and friendship in the stories of how these disparate Americans have come together. But the backdrop to it all is a world of higher temperatures, fiercer storms and more destructive climate-fueled disasters. Join us at Climate Forward LiveIf you’re in New York City, join us at Climate Forward Live on Wednesday, Sept. 23. Journalists from across the newsroom will interview government leaders, business executives and activists. If you’re not in town, sign up for the free livestream here.
The farewell that wasn’t: An E.P.A. boss sticks aroundThe head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s air office has extended his time in the Trump administration after a law firm revoked his job offer, according to two people familiar with the matter. Aaron Szabo, the head of the agency’s Office of Air and Radiation, had told employees that he planned to leave the administration on July 17. But Mr. Szabo is still at the agency after Crowell & Moring rescinded an offer to join its environmental practice, according to the two people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. It is unclear why the new job didn’t work out. Daniel Rubin, a spokesman for Crowell & Moring, declined to comment. Carolyn Holran, an E.P.A. spokeswoman, said in an email that Mr. Szabo had been asked to prolong his government service. “It is no secret that Aaron Szabo has been incredibly impactful” on new rules, Ms. Holran said. “His skill and expertise are invaluable, and he has been asked to stay on a little longer to help further advance the president’s agenda,” she added. Mr. Szabo, a former registered lobbyist for the oil and chemical industries, has played a central role in President Trump’s sweeping efforts to dismantle climate and environmental protections. Under his direction, the E.P.A. repealed a bedrock scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment. In July, the E.P.A. held several going-away parties for Mr. Szabo, including three separate parties at the agency’s satellite offices in North Carolina, according to one of the people cited above and one additional person familiar with the matter. But then Mr. Szabo continued to show up for work, surprising some who had attended those gatherings, these two people said. — Maxine Joselow More from the web
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