From The Sunday Story on NPR’s Up First, hosted by Ayesha Rascoe. 

NPR correspondent Laura Sullivan examines how the nation is failing to rebuild after major storms in a way that will protect them from the next one. 

As climate-related storms become more frequent and severe, NPR and FRONTLINE investigate the forces keeping communities from building resiliently, and the special interests that profit when communities don’t. Despite billions in federal aid, outdated policies, weak building codes, and political resistance are putting lives and homes at continued risk.

This episode was produced by Graham Smith and Andrew Mambo. It was edited by Jenny Schmidt and Robert Little. Kwesi Lee mastered the episode.

This series was co-reported with NPR and FRONTLINE, Jonathan Schienberg, Kate McCormick, Dana Ervin, Lauren Ezell Kinlaw and Refael Kubersky.

You can watch the documentary Hurricane Helene’s Deadly Warning on FRONTLINE’s website, FRONTLINE’s YouTube channel, and the PBS App.