Continued record flooding reflects local impact of climate change
The year 2020 is unlike any other, as we deal with unforeseen and staggering crises. But when it comes to the projected effects of climate change in our area, events continue to reflect expected trends.
During the spring of 2019, the Northwest suburbs experienced extensive flash flooding. This year, Chicago set a May rainfall record - for the third year in a row. In fact, the previous record rainfall total from 2019 was surpassed on May 19 at 8.37 inches. According to the National Weather Service, six to eight inches of rain fell across most of the northwest suburbs - 150% or more above normal for May.
But numbers are irrelevant when you're sloshing through water and muck in your home, don't have electricity or can't get through an intersection on your way to work or the grocery store. Our stormwater sewers can't handle the volume of rain we're getting. Most were originally designed for "100-year floods." Unfortunately, such heavy rainfall events are now happening much more frequently.
Flooding is devastating commercial centers and residential areas of many of our communities. As the frequency of extreme rainfall events increases, so too do the associated costs. Residents and business owners are hauling ruined furniture to the curb, replacing soaked wall board, navigating insurance claim procedures, and trying to restore their homes and establishments. Many of the affected buildings are not in a designated flood plain and may not have flood insurance, leaving the owners to deal with the costs of repairs.
And just like last year, the 2020 hurricane season has already established new records. For the first time, two hurricanes traveled through the Gulf of Mexico at the same time. Several storms were notable for the rapid intensification caused by higher water temperatures in the Gulf. And Hurricane Sally just dumped 30 inches of rain on Pensacola, Florida. Although the Gulf is close to 1,000 miles away, the remnants of these storms generate additional rainfall and flooding here in the Midwest.
The National Weather Service reported that flooding in the Midwest in 2019 caused an estimated $6.2 billion in damage. Federal, state, and local governments are now purchasing properties that flood repeatedly. According to the head of the National Flood Insurance Program, buyouts are the most permanent way to mitigate against future flood hazards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has announced $500 million in initial funding to relocate people whose property frequently floods. The Department of Housing and Urban Development has started a similar $16 billion program. These are matching grants and require funds from the local municipalities or local agencies.
The city of Des Plaines provides a local example of working with FEMA on property buyouts. According to data from FEMA, some homes in the city have been damaged by flooding eight or nine separate times since the mid-1980s. To date, more than 60 homes in the Big Bend subdivision have been purchased and returned to open land.
As the Daily Herald reported, FEMA granted $2.3 million to Des Plaines to acquire 13 flood-prone homes. The city of Des Plaines will pay 25% of the purchase price.
Local municipalities are also dealing with recurring flooding through infrastructure projects. In the past five years, the Daily Herald has reported on major stormwater initiatives in at least nine suburban communities. These initiatives total more than $200 million. In addition, local agencies are actively expanding flood plain maps and updating zoning restrictions to discourage development.
Local municipalities and other governmental agencies are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on projects that react to the changing conditions caused by the climate crisis. Climate change is driving these costs, and taxpayers ultimately pay.
Climate disruptions will only get worse and costs will increase unless we act now to decrease our carbon emissions. In the upcoming election, you can prioritize candidates' commitment to act on climate change when you vote. We need to elect officials who are prepared to take decisive action to reduce carbon emissions.
• Deni Mathews, of Bartlett, is the group lead for the Fox Valley Chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby. Scott Buckley, of Naperville, is Media Manager of the Greater Naperville Chapter. This essay is the first in a series of op-eds the Daily Herald is publishing this week in conjunction with Covering Climate Now, a global initiative of news agencies to focus attention on climate issues.