LeadersLink

08/22/2026

Setting up a network like this to reunite residents with precious belongings is one way a community can speed healing after a disaster.

Extreme weather often washes away personal belongings. Across the country, lost-and-found networks seek to reunite these objects with disaster survivors.

07/10/2026

Many FEMA flood maps around the country are incomplete and out of date. Also, the maps don't account for the increasing danger from heavy rainfall. An Associated Press investigation looked at how that is impacting one state. But it is a cautionary tale for all.

Many homeowners hit by devastating Michigan floods had no insurance and no idea they were at risk — underscoring vulnerabilities throughout rural America as climate change causes more extreme weather.

06/18/2026

What an honor this week to present the annual Tommy Longo Disaster Leadership Award to City of Bemidji, Minnesota, Government Mayor Jorge Prince! Prince was chosen by our three-judge panel for doing an extraordinary job leading Bemidji when a straight-line wind event, called a derecho, swept through the city on June 21, 2025, damaging hundreds of homes and businesses and causing widespread power outages. The hurricane-force 120 mph winds caused $10 million in damage to city-owned buildings alone and destroyed an estimated nine million trees there and in the surrounding county.

LeadersLink Founder and Executive Director Kathleen Koch presented the award. The executive director of the League of Minnesota Cities, which nominated Prince, spoke about how deserving he was.

“His own home was damaged. He had businesses that were impacted. But that didn’t mean that he stepped back," said Luke Fischer. "That unwavering commitment to always be in there, I think is something that really sets him aside when you think about what it means to recover from a disaster. We saw Mayor Prince really rise up and be the best of the best in the moments after the storm.”

In accepting the award, Mayor Prince called up city and county emergency officials as well as community nonprofit and media leaders to share their experiences during the storm and recovery.

“I realize that my name is inscribed on this award. I remain convinced that the true recognition belongs to every person and every organization that has made our recovery possible,” said Prince. “And it is in that spirit, and only that spirit, and on behalf of our entire community, that I humbly accept this award.”

Nominations for the award created by LeadersLink in 2022 came from around the country, with nominees leading recoveries from wildfires, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes.

The award is named after the late mayor of Waveland, Mississippi, John Thomas “Tommy” Longo. Longo led the city’s successful recovery from Hurricane Katrina and volunteered to serve as one of LeadersLink’s first mentors, sharing what he had learned with other mayors whose towns had been damaged by hurricanes.

06/01/2026

A panel tasked with revamping the role of FEMA recently released its recommendations. The FEMA Review Council proposed that state and local governments take on more responsibility for responding to disasters. It also suggested dramatically narrowing the number of individuals eligible for federal disaster aid.

The changes come after the president proposed an overhaul, or outright elimination, of the disaster response agency.

04/26/2026

Challenging times for communities across the country as most of the U.S. experiences record drought. Local leaders who may never have faced this before now need to factor water conservation and wildfire prevention measures into their emergency plans.

The contiguous United States is experiencing record drought levels for this time of year, according to weather data.

04/16/2026

Love seeing communities that have suffered trauma and disasters reach out and support one another!

Mayor Rick Blangiardi thanked the New York City Fire Department for their help during the ongoing disaster recovery following the recent Kona low storms.