The Rural Blog

A digest of events, trends, issues, ideas and journalism from and about rural America, by the Institute for Rural Journalism, based at the University of Kentucky. Links may expire, require subscription or go behind pay walls. Please send news and knowledge you think would be useful to benjy.hamm@uky.edu.

The Rural Blog

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Brookings calls for FEMA reforms to make disaster declaration, response easier for rural areas

Disaster-experienced rural towns offer a guide for successful recovery

American emergency alert systems continue to face challenges in reaching everyone in harm's way

Rural communities can provide ways for vulnerable senior residents to recover after natural disasters

Extreme rain, flooding and tornadoes hit the Midwest and South. Many swollen rivers have yet to crest.

Flooding, broken dams and Hurricane Beryl damage prompt discussions on how rural places can protect themselves

Where tornadoes develop has shifted more to the East; Southern and Midwestern states are now at greater risk.

Reporting on tornado protocols and resources can help your community be safer should a twister touch down

Opinion: FEMA needs rescuing if it's going to give Americans the help it promises

Flora/fauna quickies: Dancing honeybees; brown widows attack black widows; bringing birds back to the farm . . .

Rural Ky. paper perseveres after Dec. 10 tornado decimates town, demonstrating unique service of a local news outlet

Tornadoes shift to Southeast, where they tend to be deadlier because of timing (night), geography and population density

Quick hits: Get used to winter tornadoes; U.S. beats Canada in first trade case under USMCA, over dairy subsidies . . .

Western Kentucky radio station keeps locals informed, helps community heal after last week's deadly tornadoes

Why it's so hard to predict tornadoes

Pandemic complicates disaster-response tactics

Signups for farm disaster aid begin Wednesday

Parts of the Southeast are in a new 'Tornado Alley'

Rural Kansas town devastated by 2007 tornado has come together as a community to survive

County-level maps detail all federally declared disasters from 1964-2014