Facing the Rising Flood Problem in America
Floods are the most common of all weather-related disasters in America. They cause more damage and kill more people than any other type of severe weather. Flood risk is rising all over the country\u2014rainstorms are more intense and flash floods are happening more frequently. The communities facing the greatest risk in the coming decades are disproportionately poor and Black. But here\u2019s the thing: damage from flooding is the most preventable of all natural disasters: moving to higher ground is a proven solution to flood damage. But a lot of factors, like money, history and human nature, make relocation complicated. On this podcast episode, we explore why flooding is such a challenging problem and how cities are adapting. A climate scientist explains how warmer temperatures increase extreme flood risk (it\u2019s the atmospheric sponge effect!) We\u2019ll learn why America\u2019s approach to preventing flooding has backfired and how Tulsa, Oklahoma has bucked the trend \u2013 going from one of the most flood prone cities in the country to one of the most flood resistant. And the mayor of an historic town settled by recently freed Black people will explain why relocating out of the flood zone isn\u2019t a simple choice.\n\nPodcast Guests:\n\nDaniel Swain, climate scientist at UCLA and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, WeatherWest on YouTube \n\nTim Palmer, author of \u201cSeek Higher Ground: The Natural Solution to our Urgent Flooding Crisis\u201d \n\nJoseph Kralicek, executive director, Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency \n\nBobbie Jones, mayor of Princeville, North Carolina