US extreme weather survivors are a growing group – now they want to be a political force

Reporting from Texas, Oliver Milman follows U.S. disaster survivors organizing around preparedness, emergency warnings, FEMA support and nonpartisan recovery. The network Extreme Weather Survivors says it connects about 2,500 people nationwide, including people affected by Texas floods, Hurricane Helene and wildfires.

The article shows people who were not previously politically active pressing officials for better responses and connecting across partisan lines through shared experience. Organizers often avoid climate terminology to keep the coalition broad, while arguing that repeated disasters and slow recovery demand public action.