From Nepal to North Carolina, climate disasters are wiping entire communities off the map, leaving survivors with nowhere to rebuild.
In 2024, a glacial lake outburst flood, or GLOF, in Thame, Nepal, and Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina caused massive landslides and flooding, displacing residents and devastating communities. In both disasters, survivors were left with the harsh reality of lost land.
Winner of the 2025 Raoul Wallenberg Fellowship at the University of Michigan, Stephanie Smith has closely followed these devastations and is committed to finding solutions to better address them. For her, the striking parallels between these crises underscore the growing severity of climate change, exposing vulnerabilities in both global and U.S. disaster response efforts.
“While GLOFs and hurricanes are different events, they share a common factor: Both are becoming more frequent and severe due to climate change,” Smith said. “The past year’s devastation makes it clear — we must do more to prepare. Communities can better withstand these disasters by building coalitions, sharing strategies and supporting one another. I have been equipping myself to contribute to this effort during my time at U-M.”
To read the full article by Fernanda Pires on the University Record, click here.
