Author Archive

Topher Sanders

Infrastructure

People are still being swallowed by storm drains. One U.S. agency is pushing for safety measures.

A new federal rule requires that local officials in flood-prone areas consider safety features for drain openings. In 2021, ProPublica reported that uncovered storm drains were responsible for at least three dozen deaths over six years.

By Topher Sanders, ProPublica
July 24, 2024

Management

Storm Drains Keep Swallowing People During Floods

An alarming number of people (especially children) have drowned after disappearing into storm drains during floods. The deadly problem should be easy for federal, state and local government agencies to fix, but tragedy strikes again and again.

By Topher Sanders, ProPublica
December 9, 2021

Management

COVID-19 Put Her Husband in the ICU. She Had to Be Hospitalized Next. The State Demanded to Know: Who Would Care for Their Children?

When Laura Whalen went to a hospital with COVID-19, she brought her kids. Her husband was already in an ICU, and she couldn’t risk them exposing their grandma. But the state told her to find someone to take them or it would.

By Topher Sanders and David Armstrong, ProPublica
April 15, 2020

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