When rain falls, it picks up pollution from streets, farms and other manmade features as it winds toward the ocean.
 
In the Broad Run watershed of Loudon County, Virginia, runoff travels through an increasingly urbanized landscape before reaching the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. In 2000, fewer than 170,000 people lived in the county. More than 400,000 people live there now.
 

The increasing frequency of natural catastrophes and their uneven impact on vulnerable populations calls for the development of disaster Resiliency Hubs. Now, through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), a multidisciplinary team of Florida State University researchers is looking to utilize a commonly under-recognized space in disaster response: public libraries.