What another Texas flood revealed about the state's warning system

In response to recurring glacial flooding outbursts, Juneau has implemented an early warning dashboard, $8 million temporary flood barriers, and ongoing scientific research. The solutions are too new to demonstrate measurable flood damage reduction, but increased community participation in preparedness activities is one promising impact.

As flood risk and severity increase, homeowners are lifting their houses to avoid catastrophic damage. Hydraulic lifts raise the structure several feet up in the air, though it’s an expensive process, costing $75 to $200 per square foot. For some eligible families, low-interest disaster loans from FEMA are available to cover 75-100% of the costs. The organization has already raised nearly 22,000 homes nationwide since 1999.

Two-thirds of California’s farms are considered small, cultivating less than 50 acres, and they play a critical role in food security and climate resilience for the whole country. As climate change makes extreme weather more unpredictable, these farms have to rely on government disaster relief and crop insurance to get back on their feet.

Resiliency parks in Hoboken, New Jersey, look like typical playgrounds and basketball courts. Unlike the average park, they have discrete drains and sit on top of underground tanks that prevent flooding by holding millions of gallons of rainwater.

The Alliance Center for Independence (ACI) started working with people who have disabilities to create better disaster preparedness measures that consider disabilities, ensuring support and shelter are accessible to anyone and everyone. ACI held an overnight shelter simulation exercise that allowed them to practice each step of an emergency shelter response with people who have disabilities to identify any areas that could be improved. These simulations have become a model for other counties across the state, inspiring more shelters to make improvements to their accessibility.

The concept of “sponge cities” is taking off as a way to prevent flooding. This style of urban design focuses on creating environments that absorb more water with plants and open ground as opposed to pipes and concrete.

Stormwater fees, which are based on property runoff, are funding infrastructure upgrades and green spaces to absorb rainwater, reduce damage from flooding and improve water quality. Several municipalities have seen reduced flood damage and increased water quality after implementing stormwater fees, and have even hosted community events to educate residents on how the fees are used to make improvements.

An early warning system in Bangladesh that uses a mix of technology and community connections is saving lives during storms and natural disasters. The mixture includes increased storm tracking, climate change mitigation solutions, and information-sharing systems that reach even the most remote areas. An essential part of the solution comes in the form of human capital - a human chain of communication that spreads the warnings across villages by word of mouth.

Several organizations, researchers, and area farmers alike are working to get local farmers back on track after catastrophic flooding in the summer of 2022 destroyed many farmers’ crops, tools, and homes by focusing on shifting toward more climate-resilient farming practices and providing resources like compost deliveries to help replenish soil.

After being hit by two natural disasters in one year, cities, Indigenous tribes, and government agencies in Whatcom County on the Nooksack River are working together to create a new plan to deal with flood risk and salmon restoration. The Floodplain Integrated Planning team is overcoming distrust among its partners to build a more holistic plan that incorporates tested solutions like fish-friendly floodgates, levee repairs, and property buyouts to remove homes that will continue to be flooded in the future.