Lawmakers Block Flood‑Safe Zoning

An entrenched pattern of state legislative refusals to enact bans or strict limits on development in the highest flood‑risk areas increases population exposure and fatalities when extreme floods occur. ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reviewed nearly 60 years of legislation and found more than 50 rejected flood‑safety bills; many of last summer’s 137 confirmed deaths occurred in places the federal government had already flagged as flood‑prone. — State legislatures’ permitting and zoning decisions are a primary driver of disaster risk and should be central to debates about accountability, land‑use policy, and emergency prevention.