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<ul class="summary-list"><li>At least 62 people have been killed in the worst flooding to hit Spain in decades.</li><li>Flash floods are becoming more common and more intense due to global warming.</li></ul>At least 62 people have been killed and many more are missing in the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spain-flooding-51-dead-in-valencia-region-economic-hub-2024-10">worst flooding to hit Spain in decades</a>.Torrential rain hit parts of the country on Tuesday, cutting off main roads, delaying flights, and damaging homes.The rain was the result of a weather phenomenon known as a cold drop, in which cold air moves over warm water.The warm air then rises rapidly, leading to the formation of huge cumulonimbus clouds capable of releasing violent downpours that can devastate towns and cities.Such extreme weather events have a huge human and economic cost — and scientists believe global warming, combined with the way humans have developed the natural landscape, will only make the problem worse.<h2 id="971184fb-8d33-48d1-979d-6445b6e539be">The cost of extreme weather</h2>Estimates for the economic costs of extreme weather and flooding vary, but many tend to agree that they are on the rise.According to the European Environment Agency, extreme weather in Europe caused economic losses of assets estimated at more than $800 billion between 1980 and 2023.Last year, a study by <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/oct/09/climate-crisis-cost-extreme-weather-damage-study">Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand</a> said the damage caused by the climate crisis through extreme weather has cost $16 million an hour for the past 20 years.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/extreme-weather-economic-cost-wef23/">The World Economic Forum</a> calculated that the cost of extreme events had increased nearly eight times globally, inflation-adjusted, since the 1970s.The impact of flash flooding can be particularly severe because, often, there is very little warning.<h2 id="8409be50-c212-466d-bbd2-62c416ac5204">Flash flooding in dry areas</h2>Flash floods are <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-flash-flood-warning-how-to-stay-safe-vermont-2023-7">different from regular flooding</a> because they develop quickly, in the span of a few hours or even minutes.They can be far more devastating in dry areas because parched soil tends to repel water rather than allow it to soak in.That means surges can result from as little as 10 millimeters in just one hour, according to a<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="c-link" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=3735d139977ac068c02d638e81b04695e0ab6b1d06970add3b44fafb88d52e11&amp;postID=6722014ce5b5408300715e9a&amp;postSlug=flash-floods-spain-increasing-globally-experts-infrastructure-change-2024-10&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nature.com%2Farticles%2Fd41586-023-00626-9.epdf%3Fno_publisher_access%3D1%26r3_referer%3Dnature"> 2023 article in Nature</a>."Our analysis using the Emergency Events Database shows that, since 2000, such regions experienced less than half (47%) of deadly flash floods globally, yet saw almost three-quarters (74%) of related deaths," the authors wrote.The same researchers found that the rate of dryland flash flooding around the world was 20 times higher between 2000 and 2022 than it was between 1900 and 1999.Ernesto Rodríguez Camino, a senior state meteorologist and member of the Spanish Meteorological Association, said flash flooding is becoming more frequent, a trend which is set to continue because of the damaging effects of global warming."Events of this type, which used to occur many decades apart, are now becoming more frequent, and their destructive capacity is greater," he said.<h2 id="c6269754-7554-446d-a63e-b8d93fdbfdc3">Why are there more flash floods?</h2>The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a US-based nonprofit, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.edf.org/why-are-floods-hitting-more-places-and-people">said</a> flash flooding has intensified because of increased rainfall and heat waves.The rise in the world's average surface temperature — which was more than 2 Degrees Fahrenheit warmer in 2020 than it was 100 years ago — has resulted in more moisture and clouds in the air, the organization said.According to the EDF, modern infrastructure, including buildings, roads, and sidewalks, has eliminated natural landscape features that would have slowed flooding in the past.It added that stormwater systems designed to protect buildings are often too old and not vast enough to handle the increasing amount of major weather events caused by global warming.Additionally, houses are continuing to be built in areas that are prone to flooding, the organization said.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/floods#tab=tab_1">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) said people who live on floodplains or in buildings without flood protections or warning systems are most vulnerable.<h2 id="283c598d-eb50-4251-afb8-e7fbf0cb4832">What can be done?</h2><div type="image" title="Emergency workers clear debris the morning after heavy rains and flash floods hit the area on October 30, 2024 in Letur, Albacete province, Spain" height="3333" width="5000" msid="114787520" hostid="261" sizebytes="2262486"></div>Non-environmental factors, such as new infrastructure and better weather warnings, can help prevent the impact of flash flooding.Jess Neumann, an associate professor of Hydrology at the University of Reading, said that a long-term solution would involve the "radical redesign of urban areas.""Flash floods can affect anyone, anywhere. We take preparation for other hazards such as earthquakes and tsunamis very seriously with education, drills, and emergency kits," she said. "It is time we afforded the same to flood risk preparedness."John Marsham, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Leeds, agrees with Neumann's assessment."Our entire infrastructure and civilization are based around a climate that no longer exists," he said, adding that some locations are becoming more difficult to insure against flood damage.Some cities are already considering better precautions for extreme weather events. For example, in 2022, the US Army Corps of Engineers unveiled its proposal to build a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/26/nyregion/storm-project-new-york-harbor-flooding.html">$52 billion moveable sea barrier</a> along the New York Harbor to protect against storm surges.These protections would also allow local economies to recover faster.The EDF reported that the average flood event from excessive rainfall in the US costs around $4.7 billion.Marsham and Liz Stephens, a professor in climate risks and resilience, said that local governments should also implement stronger warnings about the risks of flash flooding to prevent death and injuries."People shouldn't be dying from these kinds of forecasted weather events in countries where they have the resources to do better," Stephens said.

Flash floods are a worsening scourge worldwide — here's why

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Families with young kids continue to flee major US cities, despite urban recovery post-pandemic.</li><li>The population of children under five in New York City fell 18% from April 2020 to July 2023.</li></ul>When the pandemic hit, young families fled cities across the US in droves. They moved to suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas in search of a more affordable, convenient life, driven in large part by housing costs.As major US cities have rebounded from pandemic lockdowns, that trend has slowed, but families with young kids are still fleeing, <a target="_blank" href="https://eig.org/families-exodus/">a new report</a> from the Economic Innovation Group found.The report found that the population of children under five years old in New York City fell 18% between April 2020 and July 2023, while the number of young children fell by 15% in Chicago's Cook County, 15% in San Francisco, and 14% in Los Angeles County in that same period.On average, large urban counties had a 3.9% in the number of kids under five between 2020 and 2021, 2.2% between 2021 and 2022, and 1.5% between 2022 and 2023.Big cities like New York have begun growing again since the pandemic, but those population gains are primarily due to a rise in immigrant residents and declining death rates, according to the report, which is based on US Census data published this month. Overall, domestic out-migration from big cities is still double the rate it was pre-pandemic."This stuck out as a big surprise to me," EIG policy analyst Connor O'Brien, who authored the report, told Business Insider. "This data is three years out from the start of the pandemic, cities have started to recover robustly on a bunch of different measures." But, he added, "Young families are just not coming back."This comes amid a general aging of the US population. The US birthrate <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/america-birth-rate-decline-a111d21b">is falling,</a> and the population of young children nationwide has dropped 4.6% since the pandemic, the EIG report noted. The population of young kids fell in two-thirds of the nation's counties since April 2020. In 2023 alone, the number of young kids fell in 58% of all counties.But large urban counties have lost young kids at almost double the national average rate. Birth rates in big cities have also fallen at about double the rate of rural birth rates over the last ten years, EIG found.All of this is pretty bad news for big cities, many of which are still struggling to fend off the so-called "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/midwest-america-cities-downtown-crisis-office-apocalypse-urban-doom-loop-2023-6">urban doom loop</a>" in downtowns emptied of workers and facing shrinking tax bases. "Parents are opting out of living in big cities or deciding to still live there but have no kids," O'Brien said. "I think that sends a pretty depressing message about the growth prospects of those cities going forward because at the end of the day, people vote with their feet."EIG's analysis echoes other recent reports. Families with kids under six years old are more than twice as likely to leave New York City than families without young kids, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parents-children-fleeing-nyc-high-housing-daycare-costs-2024-6">the Fiscal Policy Institute found</a>. Families with kids six or older moved out of the city at the same rates as childless families, suggesting that the costs "uniquely associated with young children — childcare and the need for more space" are pushing families to leave, FPI, a left-leaning think tank, argued.O'Brien blames the exodus on a slew of factors, ranging from the popularity of remote and hybrid work to the <a target="_blank" href="https://eig.org/left-behind-places/?campaign_id=9&amp;emc=edit_nn_20240708&amp;instance_id=128185&amp;nl=the-morning&amp;regi_id=58846835&amp;segment_id=171563&amp;te=1&amp;user_id=33847c70fb45b38628c8b13c348dde58">surprisingly strong recent economic recovery</a> of many exurban and rural areas.The result? Some exurbs — particularly in the pro-development Sunbelt — are seeing young families flood in. Exurban counties like Polk County, Florida, which sits between Orlando and Tampa, and Montgomery County, Texas, which is outside Houston, are booming.As Business Insider has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-priced-out-of-cities-into-suburbs-housing-crisis-2024-1">previously reported</a>, millennials aren't just leaving the urban core — they're moving to the farthest reaches of the suburbs. This phenomenon is perhaps a predictable result of the back-to-the-city movement they led over the last two decades. That surge in demand for housing and amenities has made many urban cores some of the most expensive places to live in the country.For years, rising housing costs in cities have pushed even the most devoted young city dwellers to move to the exurbs and suburbs, where housing has generally been more abundant and affordable. And the pandemic only deepened that trend.Have you moved your family out of a major US city? Reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:erelman@businessinsider.com">erelman@businessinsider.com</a> to share your story.

Young families are still fleeing major cities in huge numbers, a 'big surprise' for metros trying to escape the urban doom loop

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Urban waterfronts are neglected in many American cities. </li><li>But they have huge potential to revitalize cities and make them more equitable. </li></ul>On a sunny, 80-degree Saturday afternoon in late October, Mia Olis left her home in Chelsea to soak up the rays on Manhattan's brand-new — and so far only — public beach.Raised in Hawaii, Olis loves the water and surfing. But Rockaway Beach — more than an hour away by subway — was too far a trek that day. The 1,200 tons of sand near Greenwich Village along the Hudson river would have to do."I love that everybody's here," Olis, a 40-year-old lawyer, said while perched on a towel in a bikini. But she noted the park sits in a ritzy neighborhood, and thought it felt a little exclusive. "I wish it were more accessible to everybody else from uptown, Harlem, the Bronx." Still, she said, any new green space in New York is cause for celebration.Urban waterways can be a huge asset to cities and their residents. Rivers, lakes, canals, and ocean beaches can attract new residents, visitors, and commercial development. If they're well-designed, they can make cities more inclusive and help protect them from storms and heatwaves.Waterfronts are also just nice places to be. People are naturally drawn to them, as many <a target="_blank" href="https://mrbellersneighborhood.com/2004/03/on-the-aesthetics-of-urban-walking-and-writing">a poet</a> and sociologist has pointed out. And they'll also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1074384/average-waterfront-premiums-added-worldwide-by-location/#:~:text=It%20comes%20as%20no%20surprise,the%20third%20quarter%20of%202018.">pay a premium to live by them</a>. Economists say cities with struggling downtowns should invest in their green space — and that includes opening up waterfronts."Places that have better natural amenities — they tend to do better. They attract more people, they attract more jobs, they have higher economic growth," said Amanda Weinstein, a professor of economics at the University of Akron. But they have to be made accessible. "It's the investment in that natural amenity that matters."While the breeze off the Hudson offered some respite on that unusually warm fall day, a dip in the water would've been an even better way to cool off. But there's no public pool nearby, and <a target="_blank" href="https://waterfrontalliance.org/2023/06/29/can-you-swim-in-the-hudson-river/#:~:text=The%20short%20answer%20is%20%E2%80%9CYes,being%20swimmable%2C%20particularly%20after%20rainfall.">no sanctioned river swim spots</a> in the city. Even if the Hudson was consistently clean enough to swim in, it would take a lot to convince many New Yorkers to dive in."It would be a really big leap for me to swim in it," said Karin Balow, a 58-year-old Inwood resident who grew up along the river upstate. She traveled from her Upper Manhattan home to check out the new beach, where she settled into an Adirondack chair with a book. "But it has come a long, long way. So who knows?"<div type="image" title="People lounge on the new beach on Gansevoort peninsula in Manhattan on October 28, 2023." height="828" width="1280" msid="105315270" hostid="261" sizebytes="92466"></div>New York City has done a lot to invest in its 520 miles of waterfront. The sandy bluff on Gansevoort peninsula is part of the much larger Hudson River park and looks out over Little Island, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/little-island-nyc-photo-tour-barry-diller-diane-von-fuerstenbergs-2021-5">a whimsical, highly instagrammable transformation</a> of Pier 55. Hoards of people crowded the winding, tree-lined paths up to the island's breezy observation deck on that October day. If they read the signage, they'd know the city's garbage used to be incinerated where they stood. The park — the borough's second-largest — is credited with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/19/business/hudson-river-park-development-manhattan.html">helping revitalize Manhattan's west side</a>.Over the last couple of decades, New York has built a series of iconic waterfront parks on former industrial sites like Brooklyn Bridge Park and Domino Park in Brooklyn, Battery Park and the East River park in Manhattan, and Gantry State Plaza Park and Astoria Park in Queens. Governor's island now features manmade hills with sweeping skyline views, urban farming, and glamping. And the East River might soon get <a target="_blank" href="https://secretnyc.co/nyc-floating-pool-east-river/">a massive floating pool</a>.Cities across the country are increasingly looking to transform their neglected waterfronts in an effort to bring people back downtown. Cleveland, Ohio, is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/10/60-complete-cleveland-downtown-lakefront-plan-calls-for-affordable-fun-scaled-down-shoreway-eventual-move-for-browns-tailgaters.html">working on a plan</a> for a new beach, housing, and park space on the shores of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River. Seattle has torn down an elevated freeway downtown to make way for a waterfront park.<div type="image" title="A man casts his line into the Tidal Basin as seen from under the inlet bridge, one of the local sights to be seen from the Potomac and Anacostia rivers, on March, 27, 2019 in Washington, DC." height="964" width="1280" msid="105315273" hostid="261" sizebytes="97766"></div><h2>Safer and more equitable cities</h2>A couple hundred miles south of Manhattan, the waters off the shores of the nation's capital are also finding new life. In recent years, DC has opened up its waterfront, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/exciting-the-wharfs-phase-2-opens-on-five-year-anniversary/3179428/">transforming the southwest</a> with the glitzy Wharf — featuring luxury condos, restaurants, music venues, and a soccer stadium, and redeveloping the Capitol riverfront <a target="_blank" href="https://www.npr.org/local/305/2021/02/17/968639957/new-development-planned-for-navy-yard-is-basically-another-wharf">from Navy Yard</a> to Buzzard Point with the Nationals baseball stadium and tons of new housing.The city just recently finished its decade-long construction of two major tunnels that capture stormwater, preventing <a target="_blank" href="https://dcist.com/story/23/09/18/new-anacostia-river-tunnel-online-sewage-overflows/">almost all sewage from overflowing</a> into the Anacostia river during storms and easing flooding in low-lying neighborhoods. For the first time in over a half century, the city is planning to open the Anacostia river next June for a sanctioned swimming event. The splash event was supposed to happen in July, and then September of this year, but was postponed twice due to severe storms.Urban waterways like the Hudson and Anacostia pose a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usgs.gov/science/science-explorer/climate/coasts-storms-and-sea-level-rise">serious flooding threat</a> to cities as climate change triggers rising sea levels and more ferocious storms. Waterfront parks can help in collecting storm surge and rainwater and preventing flooding. They can also offer respite as summers get hotter.Cities — built of heat-absorbing asphalt and concrete, instead of cooling greenery — <a target="_blank" href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/analysis-urban-heat-islands-identifies-100600510.html">make heatwaves even worse</a>. International climate experts warn heat-related deaths globally <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/heat-related-deaths-could-more-than-quadruple-by-mid-century-report-2023-11-14/?taid=655468f0e7423b00010e1061&amp;utm_campaign=trueanthem&amp;utm_medium=trueanthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">could more than quadruple</a> by mid-century if the planet heats up to 2 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels. A cool breeze off a river or lake, or a dip in one, could save lives."There is a very real need in cities," said Trey Sherard, the riverkeeper at the DC non-profit Anacostia Riverkeeper, which is organizing the June swim event. "It's not just recreation, it's public health to be able to cool off that way."Climate resilience is also key to building more equitable cities. Communities of color and lower-income neighborhoods across the country <a target="_blank" href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-report-shows-disproportionate-impacts-climate-change-socially-vulnerable">are disproportionately impacted</a> by environmental impacts, like flooding and extreme heat. In the DC area, the vast majority of homes most vulnerable to flooding are in Ward 7 and Prince George's County, Maryland, both of which are majority Black. There are also historic inequities when it comes to swimming. Public pools across the country were largely racially segregated until the 1950s — and after that, many <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marketplace.org/2021/02/15/public-pools-used-to-be-everywhere-in-america-then-racism-shut-them-down/">private pools</a> opened to cater to white people fleeing desegregation. Without safe and clean rivers and lakes to turn to, Black communities across the country often didn't have anywhere to take a dip or teach their kids to swim.DC's Black communities still face many of these challenges. The free swimming lessons that the city department of parks and recreation offers can't meet the high demand and don't cater to adults."There's a lot of water fear in DC, especially east of the river. And that speaks to generations being separated from their waterways," Sherard said.Sherard said the Anacostia's inaugural swim event is being modeled after one on the Charles River in Boston. But he also pointed to international models.In Switzerland's biggest city, Zurich, swimmers can hop into the Limmat river or Lake Zurich right downtown. The most enthusiastic locals in Zurich and Bern <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/17abc354-e3b9-48b8-8a25-bdccb4426f7f">swim to and from work</a> with their phone, wallet, and clothes strapped to them in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/switzerland-workers-commute-by-floating-down-rivers-video-2023-7">a floating waterproof satchel</a>. Paris is poised to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-66238618">open up its Seine River to swimmers</a> for the first time in 100 years. Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who's something of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.planetizen.com/features/124594-100-most-influential-urbanists-past-and-present">a global urbanist hero</a>, has pioneered a billion-dollar effort to clean up the iconic river in time to hold Olympic events in it next summer.Skepticism abounds about how clean the murky depths of the Anacostia are. Sherard said he hears plenty of "hell no, never" when it comes to swimming in the river, but he's also found real enthusiasm for opening the river up. There's lots of work left to do. Advocates for the river want Congress to approve funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to dredge the Anacostia to remove toxic sediment and ease flooding.If the river is dredged, it could also be a huge boost for the country's first African American boating club — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.seafarersyachtclub.com/">Seafarers Yacht Club</a> — whose boathouse on the river's west bank is only accessible in high tide because of accumulated sediment."What a gem to have on the river," Sherard said.

The key to fighting the urban doom loop might be a downtown beach

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12137269" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="extreme-heat" source="Orion">Extreme heat</keyword> is the leading weather-related cause of death in the US.</li><li>Leaders in some areas are appointing heat czars to help fight dangerous warming.</li></ul>This article is part of Insider's weekly newsletter on <keyword id="11896309" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword>, written by Tim Paradis, future-of-business editor.It's sometimes called the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/stories/excessive-heat-silent-killer" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">silent killer</a>.We know about the perils of storms, fires, and floods. We take cover, run to safety, or move to higher ground. But <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/toolkits/extremeheat/default.html" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">what to do about extreme heat</a>?Heat is the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-related-deaths" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">leading weather-related killer</a> in the US, even though most of these deaths are preventable. That's because, like a driver speeding down a highway, many of us fail to appreciate the risks we're facing.And as the planet warms, it's as if more of us are punching the gas pedal. Extreme heat demands — and is now getting — greater attention because human activity is dialing Earth's thermostat ever higher. Areas that <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/13/phoenix-arizona-heatwave-daytime-night" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">routinely sizzle</a>, like Phoenix, are <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2021/10/07/phoenix-hires-heat-officer-cool-city-ever-warming-future/6029086001/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">appointing heat czars</a> to orchestrate urban-cooldown efforts.Cities and states are experimenting with plans to use <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/naming-heat-waves-save-lives/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">severity scales to quantify heat waves</a> and to name life-threatening heat outbreaks, as Seville, Spain, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/seville-launches-world-rsquo-s-first-program-to-name-and-rank-heat-waves/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">now does</a>. It's all an effort to generate the kind of attention we might normally reserve for tornadoes and hurricanes.It's attention that's deserved: The dangers from extreme heat can bubble over in minutes or across several days. Those at higher risk include <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/updates/upd-07-02-18.html#:~:text=Working%20outside%20can%20produce%20heat,up%20safety%20glasses%2C%20and%20dizziness." target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">people who work outdoors</a>, those who <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/cowboys/2022/07/11/marion-barber-cause-death-dallas-cowboys-running-back-heat-stroke/10033698002/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">exercise under extreme conditions</a>, older people, and those who are poor.The most serious harms from heat waves are often <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-waves" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">linked to higher overnight temperatures</a>. That's because when it's harder for people to find respite from daytime extremes, their bodies have to work overtime to shed heat.This is part of why heat has, in some years, killed more people in the US than <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/recreation/safety-ethics/?cid=FSEPRD494289" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and lightning combined</a>. <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/heatrelated-illnesses-heat-cramps-heat-exhaustion-heat-stroke" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Heat-related illnesses include</a> heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and <keyword id="12473634" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="heat-stroke" source="Orion">heat stroke</keyword>. Hot weather can also <a href="https://www.geisinger.org/health-and-wellness/wellness-articles/2017/04/30/22/01/summertime-heat-can-be-hard-on-your-lungs" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">inhibit breathing</a> and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heat-is-hard-on-the-heart-simple-precautions-can-ease-the-strain-201107223180" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">put those with heart conditions at risk</a>.When Jane Gilbert became the <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/chief-heat-officers" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">first chief heat officer</a> for Miami-Dade County last year, she commissioned studies to understand who in the region was most vulnerable. The efforts found that areas with the highest land-surface temperatures saw greater instances of emergency-department visits for heat-related illnesses.Sections of the county with a dearth of <keyword id="6355381" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="trees" source="Orion">trees</keyword> tended to be hotter — and poorer. Gilbert said areas with higher incomes, by contrast, often had more prolific tree cover. "They almost look like the same map," she said, referring to the overlap between wealth and arboreal plenty.To narrow the tree gap, Miami-Dade County is working to boost its tree canopy from about 20% to 30% by 2032. Part of the effort will target areas with less greenery.The county <a href="https://www.miamidade.gov/global/service.page?Mduid_service=ser1467835324112359" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">gives away two trees a year</a> to homeowners who want to help in the <a href="https://www8.miamidade.gov/global/recreation/milliontrees/home.page" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">green-up plan</a>. The program includes instructions for planting and care. Still, not all of the young trees will thrive. Progress in boosting Miami-Dade County's tree coverage <a href="https://www.wlrn.org/news/2021-11-16/miami-dade-county-florida-extreme-heat-season-cop26-tree-canopy" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">has proven difficult</a> because some trees, new and old, are damaged in storms or are lost when land is cleared for development. Yet drawing in everyday citizens to the effort is essential, Gilbert said, because the county can't otherwise reach its goal."We only own a very small portion of the land. And if we're going to get to 30% tree canopy, we need private-sector involvement in that. We're never going to get there without all partners." Miami-Dade County gives away about 2,000 trees at each of its adopt-a-tree events and, since 2001, has handed out more than 215,000 of them.Taking steps to cool so-called <a href="https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/urban-heat-islands" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">urban heat islands</a> is wise because we'll likely face more hot days.Noboru Nakamura, a professor in the department of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago, <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021GL097699" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">identified unusual behavior in the jet stream</a> that facilitated last summer's historic <keyword id="11947988" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="heat-wave" source="Orion">heat wave</keyword> in the Pacific Northwest in which more than 1,000 people died in the US and Canada. The phenomenon is called atmospheric blocking, and it involves the jet stream stalling over a region."When this happens, weather stops changing regularly," Nakamura said. "This is typically how extreme heat and flooding conditions occur."While extreme-heat events are likely to increase, what's less understood is the role Earth's atmospheric machinery might play, he said."You may have some unexpected behavior of the weather systems and internal workings of the atmospheric circulation," Nakamura said, "which is chaotic."Insider is seeking nominations for its first Climate Action 30 list, which identifies the top 30 global leaders working toward climate solutions.Tell us about someone who you believe is doing some of the most impactful or promising work to tackle the global <keyword id="11896310" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="climate-crisis" source="Orion">climate crisis</keyword>:

Extreme heat causes more deaths than storms, fires, and floods in the US. Cities are responding by naming heat czars and looking for ways to cool urban areas.

The pre-monsoon season hasn’t started on a pleasant note for <keyword id="6354915" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="assam" source="Orion">Assam</keyword>. Every year, the rainy season brings destruction to the most-populated northeastern state. It brings chaos, displacing thousands of people and animals, and damaging crops and properties worth billions. However, this time, the monsoons are yet to arrive and according to the <keyword id="645470" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="assam-state-disaster-management-authority" source="Orion">Assam State Disaster Management Authority</keyword> (ASDMA), at least <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/over-four-lakh-people-affected-as-pre-monsoon-rains-trigger-floods-in-assam/articleshow/91632004.cms">4 lakh people have been affected and 24 people</a> have lost their lives so far due to the floods which have ravaged the state. On May 24, Assam floods witnessed a surge in the death toll, as it rose to 25 and 6.5 lakh people remained affected. These <a href="https://weather.com/en-IN/india/news/news/2022-05-24-assam-floods-improve-but-rains-prevail-over-northeast-india">6,50,402</a> affected, which include 1,25,471 children, reside in 1,709 villages based in 22 of the state's 34 districts. Close to 82,503 hectares of crop areas in flood-hit areas also remain affected. <div type="image" title="Flood hazard map of Assam, where colours represent different hazard classes" msid="91820351" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Flood hazard map of Assam, where colours represent different hazard classes&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Why are floods an annual occurrence in the state of Assam? Assam is one of the most flood-prone states in India and it has almost become an annual calamity. In terms of impact on <a href="https://www.insightsonindia.com/2020/07/20/assam-floods/">human lives</a>, the floods of 1988, 1998 and 2004 were the worst – the 2004 floods alone affected 12.4 million people and claimed 251 lives. According to the Assam government, the <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">flood-prone area</a> of the state is 31.05 lakh hectares, against a total area of 78.523 lakh hectares – this means nearly 40% of the state’s area is flood-prone. Overall, Assam accounts for nearly 10% of the total flood-prone area of the country. The average <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">annual loss</a> due to floods in Assam is to the tune of ₹200 crore and particularly in 1998, the loss suffered was about ₹500 crore and during the year 2004 it was about ₹771.00 crore. Apart from the natural topography and annual excessive rainfall in Assam, there are various reasons – both man-made and natural – behind the destructive floods that hit Assam every year. Assam is home to a vast network of rivers, including the Brahmaputra and Barak River, and more than 50 tributaries feeding them. Assam also receives river water from <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">neighboring states</a> like Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">In 2004 and 2014</a>, the south bank tributaries of the Brahmaputra in lower Assam experienced flash floods of high magnitude due to cloud bursts in the catchment areas in Meghalaya. A similar incident occurred in <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">Arunachal Pradesh in 2011</a>, further aggravating floods in Assam. Bank erosion caused by the river Brahmaputra is one of the major reasons why Assam gets flooded every year. It means the removal of soil, sediment, or rock fragments along the banks, which results from high water flow. Due to erosion, the width of the river increases and it changes its course. According to the Assam government, more than <a href="https://waterresources.assam.gov.in/portlets/flood-erosion-problems#:~:text=The%20flood%20prone%20area%20of%20the%20country%20as%20a%20whole,prone%20area%20of%20the%20country.">4.27 lakh hectares</a> of land, which is 7.40 % area of the state, has been eroded by the river Brahmaputra and its tributaries since 1950. The width of the river Brahmaputra has increased up to 15 kilometres at some places due to bank erosion, making it the widest river in India. It is estimated that annually nearly 8,000 hectares land is lost to erosion. The surveys carried out at different periods reflect an alarming picture regarding the widening of river Brahmaputra which is as follows: <div type="image" title="River Brahmaputra has been widening at an alarming rate" msid="91820475" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;River Brahmaputra has been widening at an alarming rate&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Floods are also caused by human intervention – like encroachment of river banks and wetlands, lack of drainage, unplanned urban growth, hill cutting and deforestation. The dams that are being built are further aggravating these disasters. Government measures to control floods in Assam In 1982, the <keyword id="905955" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="brahmaputra-board" source="Orion">Brahmaputra Board</keyword> suggested that dams and reservoirs be built to mitigate floods in Assam. While dams are meant to regulate the flow of water, they can also be beyond the capacity of the channels downstream, proving to be a double-edged sword. The <keyword id="14039836" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="water-resources-department-of-assam" source="Orion">Water Resources Department of Assam</keyword> has constructed embankments and flood walls across the state. River training, bank protection, anti-erosion and town protection are also in the works. Here’s how their plan has progressed thus far: <div type="image" title="Assam govt&amp;#39;s measures to control floods in the state" msid="91820500" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Assam govt&amp;#39;s measures to control floods in the state&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Here's a short video <div type="image" title="Why Assam gets flooded every year" msid="91820530" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Why Assam gets flooded every year&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

SIMPLY PUT: Why Assam gets flooded every year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Floods trapped two teens in an abandoned train tunnel over the weekend.</li><li>The boys were inside the tunnel for about two hours before they were finally rescued by boat. </li></ul>Floods trapped two teens inside an infamous abandoned train tunnel for hours during a severe rainstorm in New Jersey over the weekend.Officials were notified that the teens were stuck in the tunnel in Edgewater at about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/teens-trapped-in-flooded-nj-tunnel-for-hours-rescued-during-sunday-storms/4290193/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC New York reported.</a> The duo had been exploring the tunnel when the water started pouring in. "They said they were in the tunnel for about two hours. They'd seen something on the internet where they wanted to explore the tunnel," Lt. Robert Jacobsen of the local fire department told the outlet. The Edgewater-Fairview Train tunnel is considered one of the "weird" attractions in the state, <a href="https://abc7ny.com/nj-flooding-new-jersey-edgewater-tunnel-rescue/13199725/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WABC-TV reported</a>. It closed in the 1960s and has ever since been connected to all kinds of <a href="https://weirdnj.com/stories/edgewater-fairview-train-tunnel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">local urban legends</a>. As it filled with water on Sunday, firefighters had to use a boat to rescue the teens, according to the local news station.Officials said the boys entered the location during <a href="https://www.fox5ny.com/news/nyc-weather-heavy-rain-flooding-new-york-new-jersey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a major rainstorm that caused widespread flooding</a> in New Jersey and New York and that, when they arrived, there was already three feet of water in the tunnel, according to WABC-TV, a local news station.The teens were transported to a local hospital and reportedly did not suffer from any injuries due to the incident. "Just think before you do things, especially with the weather outside," Jacobsen said, per NBC New York. In March, a California woman was <a href="https://www.insider.com/california-woman-rescued-top-of-submerged-car-during-flood-police-2023-3">stranded on top of her submerged car</a> during a massive flood for over an hour before she was rescued by law enforcement.

Floods trapped 2 teens for hours in an infamous abandoned train tunnel in New Jersey during torrential rain storms

Black homeowners in Houston say they're still patching up holes in their floors nearly five years after Hurricane Harvey

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="736063" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="green-infrastructure" source="Orion">Green infrastructure</keyword> can help <keyword id="6399501" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="cities" source="Orion">cities</keyword> solve climate problems and promote the health of residents.</li><li>Things like urban greenery can also offer environmental, social, and economic benefits to a city.</li></ul>Setting ordinances to build more green roofs, planting trees and native plants, and designing community green spaces are just a few ways that many cities are investing in green infrastructure to solve climate-related problems and promote the health of residents. Expanding <a href="https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/performance-green-infrastructure">greenery in urban areas</a>, for example, helps cities manage stormwater, reduce energy use, improve air quality, enhance the quality of life of residents, reduce the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/green-infrastructure/reduce-urban-heat-island-effect">urban heat island effect</a>, and boost local economies. <div type="image" title="headshot of Gail Hansen" height="1620" width="2160" msid="90573725" hostid="261"></div>"A lot of cities are becoming more concerned with environmental stressors that climate change is bringing," such as sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, and more intense tornadoes and storms, <a href="https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/faculty-profiles/gail-hansen/">Gail Hansen</a>, an associate professor at the University of Florida's Environmental Horticulture Department, told Insider."One big trend is resilient city plans, and using green infrastructure is a big part of those plans to protect cities from these stressors," she added. Last year, 31 mayors of cities, including Los Angeles, New Orleans, Seattle, and Austin, signed the <a href="https://www.c40.org/declarations/urban-nature-declaration/">C40 Urban Nature Declaration</a> to show their commitment to green infrastructure. The cities pledged to convert up to 40% of city surfaces to green or blue, that's water-related features, infrastructure by 2030 — including trees, urban forests, <keyword id="6516786" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="ponds" source="Orion">ponds</keyword>, and <keyword id="6364482" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="parks" source="Orion">parks</keyword> with sustainable drainage systems — and ensure that 70% of their residents have access to green or blue public areas, such as wetlands or ponds, within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. "Cities have to be very future thinking," Hansen said. Those invested in green infrastructure can become environmentally healthier and more resilient, which provides opportunities for residents and economies to thrive. <h2>Green roofs and other infrastructure are becoming a focus for cities </h2>One green-infrastructure trend is a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/soakuptherain/soak-rain-green-roofs">green roof</a>, which is a layer of vegetation planted over a waterproofing system atop a building. Plants absorb rainwater, preventing it from running off the roof's surface and potentially causing flooding. <div type="image" title="man standing in a green forest" height="488" width="651" msid="90573726" hostid="261"></div>"Cities are seeing their green roofs as an opportunity to provide a variety of infrastructure benefits to help us future-proof our cities against climate change," said <a href="https://greenroofs.org/steven-peck">Steven Peck</a>, the founder and president of <a href="http://www.greenroofs.org">Green Roofs for Healthy Cities</a>.The benefits include providing shade, cutting a building's energy use, and reducing the surrounding air and surface temperatures, according to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-green-roofs-reduce-heat-islands">US Environmental Protection Agency</a>. Green-roof temperatures can be up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit lower than traditional roofs and reduce citywide temperatures by about five degrees. Managing heat islands creates more equitable communities, as low-income areas tend to suffer most from overheating, which results in poorer air quality and diminished health, Peck added. Chicago has been a <a href="http://wendycitychicago.com/chicago-green-roofs/">leader in green-roof installations</a> in the US, with <a href="https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dcd/supp_info/chicago_green_roofs.html">more than 500</a> such roofs in the city. <a href="https://sfplanning.org/project/better-roofs">San Francisco</a>, <a href="https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/buildings/pdf/green_roof_solar_ll92-n-94of2019_sn.pdf">New York City</a>, and <a href="https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/7eb7-Toronto-Green-Roof-Construction-Standard-Supplementary-Guidelines.pdf">Toronto</a> also have ordinances requiring green roofs for some new and renovated buildings. Peck said green roofing that incorporates biodiversity — where plants are used to attract insects, birds, and wildlife — is an emerging trend. The <a href="https://javitscenter.com/en/sustainability/">green roof at the Javits Center</a> in New York is an example, as it's home to honeybees and several species of birds and bats. Biodiversity in other green spaces <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.13475">encourages wildlife habits</a> and promotes cleaner air and water, Hansen said. Some projects feature native plants to strengthen the local ecosystems, and trees and urban forests boost biodiversity and provide tree-canopy coverage. <a href="https://www.cogitatiopress.com/urbanplanning/article/view/3633">Biophilic design</a> is also being incorporated in green landscaping projects, Hansen said. Biophilia refers to people's innate need for nature, and Hansen said city governments see adding parks, walking and biking trails, and greenery that are all easily accessible as a way to boost residents' physical and mental health. "A lot of cities are thinking about ways to create opportunities for people to have more recreational spaces where they can interact with nature, even if it's a little pocket park," she said. "They're also looking at how these landscapes can meet the needs of diverse cultures in a community." Phoenix, St. Louis, Miami, and Washington, DC, are some of the metros that are part of the <a href="https://www.biophiliccities.org/partner-cities">Biophilic Cities network</a>, showing their commitment to improving the connection between residents and nature. <h2>Green infrastructure offers environmental, social, and economic benefits</h2>Urban greenery filters air and water, which makes communities healthier, Hansen said. Research showed that increasing access to green spaces <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lanplh/PIIS2542-5196(19)30215-3.pdf">decreased mortality</a>, and that urban green spaces <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-46099-7">reduced stress</a> and improved mental and physical health. Green infrastructure also boosts local economies by encouraging tourism dollars and attracting developers. Buildings with green roofs, for example, eliminate problems like flooding and excess heat, and they add recreational space. Peck said adding amenities and making properties more sustainable could increase property values and attract residents and businesses. Transforming old industrial structures and sites, such as abandoned rail systems, into parks could help cities revitalize areas and drive economic development, Hansen said. She cited New York's <a href="https://www.thehighline.org/">High Line</a>, a linear park and trail system built on a former railroad line, as an example. Some of the challenges cities face in implementing these projects include funding, stakeholder and community buy-in, and outdated city codes and ordinances, Hansen said. She added that some were overcoming the challenges by creating public-private partnerships and using data to show how green infrastructure benefits the city and its residents. Still, incorporating green infrastructure into their resiliency plans is imperative for cities, she said, adding, "It's almost become a must-have for cities to figure out how they're going to weather — no pun intended — a lot of these big issues."

You Searched For "urban flooding" and got 8 results

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Extreme heat causes more deaths than storms, fires, and floods in the US. Cities are responding by naming heat czars and looking for ways to cool urban areas.

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SIMPLY PUT: Why Assam gets flooded every year

Floods trapped 2 teens for hours in an infamous abandoned train tunnel in New Jersey during torrential rain storms

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Black homeowners in Houston say they're still patching up holes in their floors nearly five years after Hurricane Harvey

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