Recent storms such as Hurricanes Ida and Henri that claimed dozens of lives due to flooding point to the need for cities to increase efforts to stem the impact of heavy rainfall.
The recent storms support the notion that climate change is making the impact of large storms worse. The atmosphere holds more water as temperatures rise. The air becomes 4% more saturated with water for every 1-degree Fahrenheit that the planet warms. Thus, the heaviest downpours in the Northeast now drop 55% more rain compared to those events in the 1950s, according to the most recent National Climate Assessment.
Better data about flood risks could help cities make massive rainfall events less deadly, but data gathering has not kept up with the latest conditions. The Federal Emergency Management Administration’s flood maps are outdated and don’t account for the kind of flooding directly caused by extreme rainfall.
Cities must upgrade urban stormwater infrastructure including street-level drains, concrete sewers that can capture and hold water, roadside ditches, and flood-control reservoirs to cope with the new reality. In addition, more green spaces could help absorb some rainfall, preventing it from entering drains. These steps can help, but it remains to be seen if it is even possible to engineer our way to 100% protection against flooding.
Related Stories
| Oct 3, 2012
OSHA publishes more detailed information on variances
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enhanced its variances Web page to improve public understanding of the variance approval process and increase access to the agency's decisions regarding variance requests.
| Oct 3, 2012
Online program computes energy savings from green roofs; compares savings with other options
A free online tool can calculate the amount of energy savings from installation of a green roof. Portland State University‘s (PSU’s) online Green Roof Energy Calculator can be used for new or old structures.
| Oct 3, 2012
SERF, CSE launch a new accreditation for evaluation of building sustainability
The Society of Environmentally Responsible Facilities (SERF), a Chicago-based environmental building certification organization, and the Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) launched a new accreditation program that certifies professionals to evaluate buildings’ sustainable systems and practices according to SERF’s certification criteria.
| Oct 3, 2012
New version of Occupied Space Standard for DC microgrids in buildings released
The EMerge Alliance, an association leading the adoption of safe direct-current (DC) power distribution standards for commercial buildings, has updated the EMerge Alliance Occupied Space standard.
| Sep 26, 2012
Automatic budget cuts in January would slash federal agencies' construction budgets
Sequestration, or the implementation of automatic budget cuts as of January 2013, would slash government agencies' already reduced construction budgets further, and require agencies to shelve some repair and maintenance projects.
| Sep 26, 2012
Investment in greener data centers to reach $45 billion by 2016
Investment in data centers built to green standards will increase from the $17.1 billion predicted for this year to $45 billion by 2016, according to Pike Research.
| Sep 26, 2012
OSHA fines on fall-protection violations challenged by New York contractor
A New York masonry contractor is contesting an OccupationalSafety and Health Administration $136,290 fine for violations of fall-protection standards.a
| Sep 26, 2012
Construction workplace deaths decline nearly 7% in 2011
There were 721 construction-workplace deaths in 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, down 6.8% from 2010.
| Sep 26, 2012
Contractors save $9 billion due to revised California emissions rule
The California Air Resources Board made changes to a rule limiting off-road diesel emissions that could result in contractors saving about $9 billion.
| Sep 20, 2012
Smithtown, N.Y. considers bigger fines for building code violations
After a Suffolk County grand jury recommended stiffer fines for illegal demolitions, Smithtown, NY officials are weighing tougher penalties for developers who violate the town building code.