A week after Hurricane Helene overwhelmed the Southeastern U.S., homeowners hit the hardest are grappling with how they could possibly pay for the flood damage from one of the deadliest storms in recent history to hit the mainland.

The Category 4 storm that first struck Florida’s Gulf Cost on September 26 has dumped trillions of gallons of water across several states, leaving a catastrophic trail of destruction that spans hundreds of miles inland.

Insurance professionals and experts have long warned that home insurance typically does not cover flood damage to the home. But most private insurance companies don’t carry flood insurance, leaving the National Flood Insurance Program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as the primary provider for that coverage for residential homes.

Minority women rising in unions

Women make up roughly half of U.S. labor union membership, but representation in top level union leadership positions has lagged, even in female-dominated industries, and particularly for women of color. But Black and Latina women are starting to gain ground, landing top positions at some of the biggest unions in the U.S.

Black and Latina women, who experience a wide gender pay gap and face intersectional headwinds of both racism and sexism in their careers, are particularly attuned to inequities in the workplace and are increasingly stepping up to fight them as union leaders. In addition to focusing more attention on family-friendly benefits like parental leave and health care coverage, they have helped spur unique bargaining wins in a variety of industries.