Crises collide as climate emergency pushes America’s homeless population to the brink

As homelessness rises, climate-related disasters make matters worse. But Covid relief measures and Biden's infrastructure proposal are providing cause for cautious optimism

Terri Domer knows well what a brewing storm looks like.

Domer, 62, an Iowa native, has spent her life watching thunderstorms gather and tornadoes dash across rolling hills. Last August, when the midday sky darkened over the riverside homeless encampment where Domer and four other people spent most nights - built on a sandy bank near downtown, under tall trees - she quickly set about covering up their supplies.