extreme precipitation
Rural Kentuckians left out of federal flood protection efforts
The federal government’s flood risk assessment tool overlooks rural areas like Eastern Kentucky, leaving communities unprotected and underfunded after devastating floods.
Claire Carlson and Elizabeth Miller report for Climate Central and the Daily Yonder.
In short:
- Kentucky’s rural communities, despite repeated flood disasters, are classified as "low risk" by FEMA, limiting federal support.
- The National Risk Index used by FEMA undervalues rural areas due to lower financial assets, leading to biased disaster funding.
- Local leaders and residents are advocating for better federal support and preparing for future disasters with limited resources.
Key quote:
“There’s a bias against, I think, rural communities, especially in the flood dataset.”
— Chad Berginnis, Executive Director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers
Why this matters:
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) labels these areas as “low risk” for flooding, not because the floods are rare, but because the financial stakes are lower compared to urban centers. In simpler terms, these communities are too poor to warrant the full federal safety net. Read more: Rising waters: Aging levees, climate change and the challenge to hold back the Ohio River.
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El Niño and global warming fuel extreme weather disasters
Recent events in Chile and California highlight the devastating effects of climate change and El Niño, combining to cause deadly wildfires and record-breaking floods.
In short:
- Wildfires in Chile and floods in California are driven by a mix of climate change and El Niño, leading to severe weather phenomena.
- Record high temperatures in the Pacific Ocean have exacerbated the conditions, leading to atmospheric river storms in California and intense heatwaves in Chile.
- Disasters such as these demand improvements in infrastructure and heightened preparedness for extreme weather events.
Key quote:
"These synchronized fires and floods in Chile and California are certainly a reminder of the weather extremes and their impacts in otherwise benign Mediterranean climates."
— John Abatzoglou, climate scientist at the University of California, Merced.
Why this matters:
These are stark warnings of the growing impact of climate change on weather extremes, affecting health, safety, and the environment. They emphasize the critical need for nations to adapt to and mitigate the effects of a warming planet, impacting both local communities and global climate patterns.
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