Climate problems to cost big bucks
Believe it or not and like it or not, our changing climate is starting to cost money and much more will be spent on remedies for projects that will have to be fixed in the coming years.
Miami is set to spend $4.6 billion to storm proof itself. Thirteen-foot-high flood walls could line Miami鈥檚 waterfront under a proposed Army Corps of engineers plan to protect the city from hurricane storm surge. Similar projects are already underway in Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina.
In recent years, it has gotten so bad that streets flood in Miami when no rain is falling. They call this sunny day flooding and it鈥檚 a product of rising oceans and occurs when normal tides are high. Global warming is making hurricanes more frequent and potentially more powerful than in the past.
In 1992, Hurricane Andrew produced a wall of water some 17 feet high as it moved ashore just south of Miami. Since then, a million more people have moved into the area. One additional problem, if a storm wall is built, views of the ocean are also lost. The plan also calls for elevating and flood proofing thousands of homes and businesses in vulnerable neighborhoods.There is some controversy over the plan, but clearly a problem exists that needs fixed and the next storm could be just around the corner.
The plan calls for extensive replanting of mangroves to assist in mitigation efforts. Congress still has to approve the plan and a similar one in New York City after Hurricane Sandy is still stalled because of political pressure. With a warmer planet and melting ice, it鈥檚 hard to see these problems going away and it usually takes another catastrophe before action is fully taken.
We all remember Hurricane Katrina in 2005 that killed thousand and again did many billions in damage. Katrina was only a Category 3 hurricane and while New Orleans has done a lot to attempt to mitigate future storm surges, what if the next one is a category 4 or 5 storm?
Along with the increased storms, let us not forget the fires out west that kill hundreds each year and also cause many billions in damages. Flooding along our rivers is also on the increase from additional and more powerful storms. The Mississippi River has problems all its own as each year flood waters inundate cities and towns.
I don鈥檛 think we are fully prepared for what nature will be sending our way over the coming years. We lost time as at first we denied climate change. I think we are beginning to realize something big is occurring and at least the discussion has started. Mitigation efforts are starting and they will be costly and disruptive. Local, state and federal budgets will need to reflect our commitment to fixing problems and moving people out of harm鈥檚 way. Hillside and open water views are nice, but they can be dangerous and costly. Living along the stream is also nice, but after 3 or 4 floods a more permanent solution is needed.
Our flood insurance system has been broken for years, and is actually unsound and cannot continue to rely on the taxpayers to bail it out. Western towns that receive only a few inches of rain a year need to rethink their commitment to continued sprawl as millions of additional people move in and scarce water resources are already taxed and unable to handle the continued growth. Taxpayers will be under a tremendous burden to keep up with mitigation efforts.
A lot can be done in our planning for the future as to where we will live, work and play. Perhaps the current pandemic is setting the tone for the coming decades and may be the eye-opener that is needed. Let鈥檚 continue the discussion and see where it takes us.