Most communities in Pennsylvania are projected to face higher flood risk under future climate conditions.
This summer’s deadly mix of fires, droughts and flooding across the United States was a sneak peek into a future if global temperatures continue to rise, and here in Pennsylvania, we are not exempt. In fact, flooding is currently the highest risk hazard facing our state. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s, “extremely heavy” precipitation events are expected to rise by 13%, by mid-century.
A fixable challenge – if acted upon quickly – is turning the eyes of our state to the future, rather than relying on outdated government standards and data points to predict how flooding may impact Pennsylvania residents. This matters because our building codes are based upon historical records rather than projected future conditions and FEMA’s flood maps do not account for climate change.
Local governments in smaller communities often lack enough people to participate in federal programs and they need equitable pathways to navigate this increasing risk especially as new federal funding is becoming available. Importantly, many people simply are not aware they are at risk as past flooding in the state was largely around waterways, but climate change will challenge that by increasing the severity and frequency of rainfall events. Coupled with aging infrastructure andAs the interim chief sustainability officer and director of the Sustainability Institute at Penn State, I focus on environmental, energy and natural resource law, with a specific focus on water issues.