How do potential borrowers’ credit profiles and geographic risk of flooding, wildfire, and other weather-related disasters impact their access to bank loans? What information do banks need to determine potential financial losses from such disasters? And how do they adjust their portfolios in response to these kinds of disasters? In his research, Ralf Meisenzahl, Chicago Fed vice president and director of financial research, investigates whether financial intermediaries adjust their portfolios in response to multiple types of weather-related disaster risk.

On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, join the Chicago Fed’s Economic Mobility Project for a virtual event, Stormy Weather: Disaster Risk and the New Shape of Credit, to learn more about Meisenzahl’s research and hear from a panel of experts who will discuss how weather-related disaster risk impacts access to mortgage loans and business loans in the U.S. Participating will be Nicole Elam, president and CEO of the National Bankers Association; Mac McComas, senior program manager for the 21st Century Cities Initiative at Johns Hopkins University; Jenny Schuetz, vice president of infrastructure and housing at Arnold Ventures; and Nitzan Tzur-Ilan, senior research economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Stacey Vanek Smith, senior story editor for Bloomberg Audio, will moderate.

Audience Q&A will follow the panel discussion. Viewers can ask questions in advance during event registration and on X @ChicagoFed using the hashtag #CreditAccess.