As record-setting rains pummel South Texas and Ellicott City struggles to recover from another deadly flood, we are experiencing more reminders that the United States is facing more severe and frequent extreme weather events. Last year’s hurricane season was the most expensive season to date — and arguably one of the most deadly on record. In the eight months since Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria struck our shores, are our coastal areas better prepared for the coming storms?

Drawing from a series of discussions convened by the Hoover Institution, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, this essay explores the challenges facing our coastal communities in a series of discussions designed to advance US resilience to climate change impacts, strengthen the sustainability and economic security of coastal infrastructure, and enhance national security.

"The laws do not render it illegal for Californians to do laundry and take showers on the same day."

One word: water. This bill [AB 1668] would require the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Department of Water Resources, to adopt long-term standards for the efficient use of water, as provided, and performance measures for commercial, industrial, and institutional water use on or before June 30, 2022.