North Carolina was set up for disaster
The full extent of the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene is still unknown. Bridges collapsed, roads caved in, and entire houses were swept away in the flooding. At least 110 people were killed, and millions remain without power. “For years, climate scientists warned that rising sea levels would worsen coastal flooding during hurricanes,” Marina Koren writes. “But one of the places still reeling most dramatically from Helene’s wrath are the southern Appalachian Mountains.”
Helene’s strength can be attributed in part to the warming ocean, which means that future hurricanes are likely to be more intense. As more inland communities face this reality, they must also deal with the aftermath. The process of rebuilding is long and expensive, especially for residents without flood insurance, who never expected to be hit so hard by a hurricane in their lifetime.
Today’s newsletter brings you stories about the destruction Hurricane Helene caused:
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1 个月In some states, just the mention of climate change can get you in trouble, if not fired. How can states and cities plan for climate changes when local and state governments want to prohibit the mention of climate change. "there?are?none?so?blind?as?those?who?will?not?see".
AgeTech Partnerships | Business Development + Marketing Strategy | Senior Care Advocate
1 个月I moved to Asheville, North Carolina seven years ago; I spent most of my life in Los Angeles, and I thought that relocating my family to North Carolina would prove to be a wise move in the long run. I lived through the Northridge earthquake and that experience reshaped my thinking about natural catastrophes. I absolutely love Asheville and I have no regrets about moving there. That being said the sense of comfort I’ve had and the reassurance that I’ve become accustomed to are gone forever. Asheville will rebuild but it’s going to be a long, hard road. Here’s to resilience, service and hope.
Ecologist, Regulatory Specialist at Mott MacDonald
1 个月We have known for years that our assumptions about maximum rainfalls may be underestimated. We know very well that building in the floodplain is foolish, and yet it continues to today. None of these facts have anything to do with use of fossil fuels or rising sea levels. It has everything to do with just plain lack of understanding the concepts and/or vain hope that floods happen to the other guy and not to me. https://www.fema.gov/flood-maps
Book Author at Dragonfly Books, Electric Eclectic Books
1 个月We’ve been warned for years that weather patterns would grow more extreme. Yet there are still people who deny climate change. These catastrophes are occurring more frequently and with more intensity. We better prepare for what’s inevitable.