See this definition: Surface water floods occur when an urban drainage system is overwhelmed and water flows out into streets and nearby structures. It occurs gradually, which provides people time to move to safe
locations, and the level of water is usually shallow (rarely more than 1 meter deep).
There was this description of just a small creek: “A small creek in front of Youmans’ house is about 8 or 10 feet wide and normally less than 6 inches deep, but during the flooding, trailers were moving down the creek, he said.” I’ve often said you don’t want to be close to any water — especially when it comes to climate change. I figure this creek was the type I played in many times as a boy.
Yes, the flooding is unprecedented, but I think the precedent is being set again and again with a series of disasters. It was only last December that 75 or so people lost their lives in western Kentucky due to a tornado.
We’re seeing rain, snow, and other storms of sorts including hurricanes with wind and water damages. Then, in other parts of the nation we’ll see drought, high temperatures, wildfires and the destruction that comes from that scenario. There is no getting away from climate change.
Food security may become a much bigger issue as we lose “bread basket” areas where irrigated lands in deserts have their water allocations cut.
Still many people are in denial about the changes that are happening all around them. Everyone thinks that government will bail them out — and that won’t happen. Certainly not in a timely manner. Thousands of people remain in FEMA-provided trailers from disasters that happened several years ago.
All the infrastructure damages that we’ve seen in Kentucky can also not be repaired with the snap of one’s fingers. It will take many years for things to be put back together and the economy and livelihood of many people will be impacted.
It is a sad situation that is only going to get worse as climate impacts pile up in community after community.