Happy September, fellow Uprooters! Welcome to The Seedling. It’s me, Angely. I’m back, and I’m working on preparing readership for climate related emergencies. 

Hurricane season is officially here. It was quiet last month — the first August in 25 years with no named storms. Despite that, we have seen so many climate extremes this year. From flash floods, flash drought, and heat waves so bad that communities were asked to lower their energy usage. 

And now there’s Hurricane Fiona. The hurricane has flooded parts of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, after making landfall as a Category 1 storm. I’ve communicated with relatives and story sources all weekend to make sure they were safe. This storm has moved across the Caribbean around the anniversary of 2017’s Hurricane Maria. The storm pummeled the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, shutting off power for millions of people across the Caribbean. The damages were so severe it caused one of the longest power outages in the world, and in U.S. history. Power issues still plague many affected communities to this day.

We’re also seeing that heavy rain events, like tropical storms and hurricanes, are dropping even more rain at once. Water processing plants and sewer systems are not prepared to handle the new amounts of water. 

Reminders of recent storms (and some historic storms) are why I’ve started writing so much about emergency preparedness, and why infrastructural investments are a large part of environmental justice. Better preparedness will save lives, and I strive to write articles that help individual preparedness. Like this guide on packing an emergency go bag. But individual preparedness can only go so far, especially for the most vulnerable communities. 

Our systems and elected officials need to plan and invest in vulnerable communities. Without that support, without creating those safety nets for people who have the most to lose, there is no climate resilience. 

Do you have questions or experiences with reporting on climate change fueled extreme weather? Do you think your own community is prepared? LMK on Twitter @AngelyMercado, and follow more of my reporting on Gizmodo. 

What Are You Planting? 

This section of The Seedling is dedicated to featuring one of the many incredible members of The Uproot Project.

• Uproot x Grist ONA Conference Happy Hour (sign up here)
  Where: Bonaventure Brewing Co. – Los Angeles, CA
  When: September 23, 2022, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• The Journey of a Story: Uproot is hosting a journalism exhibit in NYC featuring the work of our members! (more details & register on Eventbrite)
  Where: Foley Gallery, NYC
  When: Wednesday, October 26, 2022, 6 PM – 8:30 PM

• Apple News, Curator/Editor, Weather and Climate
• Carbon Brief, Journalist (food, land and nature) (Deadline 10/10)
• Climate Tracker, Caribbean Climate Justice Journalism Fellowship (Deadline 9/23)
• Outpost Residency, (Deadline 12/15)
• Sentient Media, Midwest Journalism Fund (Deadline 9/26)
• The Baltimore Banner, Environment/Climate Reporter
• Slate, Associate Writer, News & Politics
• Insider, Science Fellowship
• Fund for Investigative Journalism Diversity Fellowships (Deadline 9/27)
• AP, Climate Text Editor (Deadline 9/30)
• AP, Climate Solutions Reporter (Deadline 9/30)
• AP, Clean Energy Reporter (Deadline 9/30)

• Join us on Slack to stay up to date with events, resources, and connect with fellow members.
• Have you had the chance to check out our new database? It includes a roster of editors, mentors, subject matter experts, sources, and other journalists of color. Please share widely!