Brookings 11/8/22: “Last month marked a grim anniversary: 10 years since Hurricane Sandy hammered New York City, killing 44 people, displacing thousands, and exacting a $19 billion toll. Sandy flooded subways, cut off power, and plunged 51 square miles of the city underwater. This devastating storm underscored the lack of climate preparedness across New York City’s infrastructure systems, but it’s just one of many major climate shocks that have hit the country over the past decade: from Hurricane Harvey in Houston to the deadly wildfires throughout the West to, most recently, Hurricane Ian in the Southeast, which could be the second-costliest storm in the nation’s history, behind Hurricane Katrina. The increased intensity and frequency of these events demand greater infrastructure investment and climate resilience—which includes responding to the slew of chronic challenges facing different parts of the country. But investing in infrastructure and resilience isn’t just about building more—it also means preparing a climate-ready workforce to take on these myriad responsibilities. This remains a work in progress, requiring leaders across the country to better define green jobs, articulate their hiring needs and training gaps, and take other actionable steps.”