Latest news with #Olympic-size
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Century-old dam under strain as floods increase in US and federal funds dry up
More than 18,000 properties that sit downstream of a series of a century-old Ohio dam are at risk of flooding over the next three decades, according to climate data, as the Trump administration continues to roll back investments that would aid in keeping the waters at bay. In a part of the US that's largely flat, the view from above the Huffman dam in south-west Ohio is rare. From the bike trail atop the dam, the shimmering lights of downtown Dayton appear to the south. Cargo planes from a nearby air force base circle overhead and water from the 66-mile-long Mad River gushes underfoot. But the dam serves a far more pressing purpose: holding back up to 54bn gallons of water – enough to fill 82,000 Olympic-size swimming pools – during flooding events. Nearby, more than 21% of all properties downstream are at risk of flooding over the next three decades, according to First Street, a climate risk data modeling organization. That percentage accounts for 18,596 properties in Dayton. The five massive dry dams and 55 miles of levees west and north of Dayton were built in the aftermath of catastrophic destruction that befell the Ohio city in 1913, when 360 people died and flooding in three rivers that meet in the city center wiped out the downtown area. But today, it and many other communities around the midwest are once again at risk of flooding. 'Our system has experienced 2,170 storage events. The flood in April ranked 12th,' says MaryLynn Lodor, general manager of the Miami Conservancy District, the authority overseeing the regional flood prevention system that includes the Huffman Dam. The flooding early last April saw five to seven inches of rain inundate homes, roads and parks, and caused power outages for thousands of people across hundreds of miles. Extreme precipitation events are happening with increasing regularity at a time when, across a region that's home to the country's two major, high-discharge waterways – the Ohio and Mississippi rivers – decades-old flood prevention infrastructure is falling apart. From Indiana, where authorities in charge of a dam at a youth camp that sees 15,000 visitors annually warned of failure during last April's flooding, to Illinois and Minnesota, reports are appearing with increasing regularity of '100-year' floods threatening the integrity of, and in some cases destroying, dams. Five years ago, the Edenville Dam in central Michigan failed following days of heavy rain, prompting the evacuation of 10,000 people and the failure of another dam downstream. The dam is situated at the confluence of two rivers, and in 2018 its owner temporarily had its license taken away due to fears it couldn't pass enough water at high flood levels. Lawsuits and an expense report of $250m followed the dam failure. Data from Michigan's department of environment, Great Lakes and energy, found that of the state's recorded 2,552 dams, nearly 18% were rated as in 'fair', 'poor' or 'unsatisfactory' condition. Despite this, little change has been enacted in Michigan. 'The reason this is popping up everywhere in the country is because it's a massive ageing infrastructure problem,' says Bryan Burroughs, a member of a now-closed state taskforce that sought to investigate the status of dams across Michigan following the Edenville incident. He says the taskforce's recommendations have largely not been enacted. 'To date, the only ones that have been taken up and addressed to any level are the ones that our state department of environment, Great Lakes and energy are able to oversee themselves. Regulatory changes have not been picked up legislatively,' Burroughs continued. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration had made investing in America's ageing infrastructure over the course of many years a priority, with $10bn dedicated to flooding mitigation and drought relief. An additional $3bn was allocated in 2021 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for dam safety, removal and related upgrades. Since Donald Trump entered the White House in January, the administration has vowed to roll back much of those investments. Hundreds of dam safety and other staffers working at dams in 17 western states have been laid off in recent months. Before the 4 July flood disaster in Texas, the Trump administration had pledged to close the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). With more than 92,000 dams across the country, the Society of Civil Engineers estimates the cost of repairing the country's non-federal dams at $165bn. In Ohio, the Miami Conservancy District has been outspoken in highlighting that the dams it is responsible for are in need of repair – in particular, the upstream walls of two north of the city of Dayton. Levees it manages 'are subject to the costly, federally mandated Fema accreditation process, but there is no adequate funding source.' Last year, the district said it needs $140m to bring the region's dams and levees up to safe levels over the coming decades. Over the past 80 years, the organization has seen a 228% increase in the volume of water its dams store, meaning the structures today must work harder than they did in the past to hold back the water. 'As we're looking at having to make reinvestments, we are looking to try to secure some funding through the state and federal governments,' says Lodor. 'We have not gotten much support and federal dollars or state money to be able to do the system. It's already been invested in by the local communities; it would be very difficult for this to be on the backs of the locals.' Many dams hold back water that's used by fishers and recreators – an issue that's creating tension in many communities. In White Cloud, Michigan, authorities have had to draw down much of the lake water behind a 150-year-old dam due to fears for its structural integrity, angering locals. As in Texas, dozens of youth groups and Christian camps across the midwest use lakes and waterways downstream of ageing lowhead and other dams for programming and outdoor activities. Emails and messages left by the Guardian with the owners of an at-risk dam at a camp in Indiana used by thousands of children every year received no response. While compared with other parts of the US the midwest does not have a lot of dams whose main purpose is for flood control due to geological and topographical reasons, Ohio and much of the wider midwest have seen 'record-setting rain' this year. 'The weather has changed,' says Burroughs. 'What used to be a one-in-100-year flood event might have happened three times in the last 40 years.' Solve the daily Crossword
USA Today
a day ago
- Climate
- USA Today
'Corn sweat' will add to punishing heat, humidity in Midwest this week.
The process is officially known as evapotranspiration, which is how plants, including corn, release water vapor into the atmosphere. It's high summer in the Midwest and the corn is "sweating." The process, which despite its nickname does not involve any actual sweating in our sense of the word, is officially known as evapotranspiration, which is how plants, including corn, release water vapor into the atmosphere, according to a statement from Taranis, a crop intelligence firm. Here's how it works: Commonly called "corn sweat," water evaporating from plants enters the atmosphere, combines with other water molecules and humidifies the air. In the Plains and Midwest regions, where there are millions of acres of corn and soybean crops, this can worsen stifling heat by driving up the humidity levels, making hot summer days all the more miserable. "What we're talking about is evapotranspiration, which occurs with all vegetation," Iowa state climatologist Justin Glisan said in an e-mail to USA TODAY. How much does corn 'sweat'? During the growing season, an acre of corn "sweats off" about 3,000 to 4,000 gallons of water a day, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In Iowa, corn pumps out "a staggering 49 to 56 billion gallons of water into the atmosphere each day" throughout the state, the National Weather Service said. That can add 5 to 10 degrees to the dew point, a measure of the humidity in the air, on a hot summer day. In states such as Illinois, which boasts about 12 million acres of corn, that adds up to 48 billion gallons of water daily – enough to fill 73,000 Olympic-size swimming pools, according to Taranis. Weather patterns still rule However, Glisan said weather patterns contribute more to the heat and humidity in the Midwest than does corn sweat, which he said is "a more local or smaller scale effect." "Corn transpiration is an important moisture contributor, though not the dominant factor," he said to USA TODAY. He said larger-scale (think state to regional scale) weather patterns provide much more low-level moisture via southerly and westerly advection – moisture from the Gulf or through the lower-levels of the atmosphere from the Pacific, for example. "With the large heat dome setting up over the Midwest this coming week, southerly moist flow will increase surface dew points and in the presence of unseasonably hot air temperatures, produce oppressive heat index values," Glisan said. How hot will temperatures get this week? How hot? The weather service in Chicago is warning that the heat index in Illinois could reach 115 degrees by Wednesday and Thursday, July 23-24. Elsewhere, parts of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana will have highs peak at near or above 100 degrees, and a much larger area of the South, Midwest and Great Lakes will see a heat index surpassing 100 degrees, meteorologist Jonathan Erdman said. Corn sweat will only add to the misery in the Midwest, Glisan said: "Of course, there's a local contribution from corn/bean transpiration which can add additional low-level moisture and exacerbate dew points." Does corn sweat have any benefits? While corn sweat might make summer days feel more oppressive, it's actually a sign of healthy, growing crops, Taranis reported. "The process of evapotranspiration is essential for plant growth, helping crops reach their full potential." Contributing: Christopher Cann, John Bacon, USA TODAY
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
'Habagat' dumps over 80,000 drums of rainwater in Lapu-Lapu City
Rainwater estimated to fill 85,000 drums poured over areas of Lapu-Lapu City, based on rainfall monitoring of state weather bureau PAGASA. According to Engr. Jhomer Eclarino, PAGASA Visayas weather specialist, rainfall measured 17.0 mm or approximately 85,000 barrels on July 16, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The amount of rainwater dumped on that day is estimated to have filled nearly seven Olympic-size swimming pools, Eclarino said. In addition, he said that moderate to heavy rainfall may be experienced afternoon on July 17, 2025, or toward the evening in Lapu-Lapu City, following intense southwest monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by Tropical Depression Crising. Meanwhile, Engr. Perla Amar, chief of Lapu-Lapu City Engineering Office said that because of ongoing drainage projects, the city will continue to experience flooding caused by torrential rains. She said it is further expected that floodwaters recede within three to four hours. Earlier, the City Engineering Office conducted cleanup and declogging activities in areas in Lapu-Lapu City, especially in the vicinity of the public market where tons of garbage that blocked the drainage line were collected.
GMA Network
5 days ago
- Climate
- GMA Network
'Habagat' dumps over 80,000 drums of rainwater in Metro Cebu
Rainwater estimated to fill 85,000 drums poured over areas of Metro Cebu, based on rainfall monitoring of state weather bureau PAGASA. According to Engr. Jhomer Eclarino, PAGASA Visayas weather specialist, rainfall measured 17.0 mm or approximately 85,000 barrels on July 16, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The amount of rainwater dumped on that day is estimated to have filled nearly seven Olympic-size swimming pools, Eclarino said. In addition, he said that moderate to heavy rainfall may be experienced afternoon on July 17, 2025, or toward the evening in Metro Cebu, following intense southwest monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by Tropical Depression Crising. Meanwhile, Engr. Perla Amar, chief of Lapu-Lapu City Engineering Office said that because of ongoing drainage projects, the city will continue to experience flooding caused by torrential rains. She said it is further expected that floodwaters recede within three to four hours. Earlier, the City Engineering Office conducted cleanup and declogging activities in areas in Lapu-Lapu City, especially in the vicinity of the public market where tons of garbage that blocked the drainage line were collected.
USA Today
11-07-2025
- Climate
- USA Today
See how the Texas floods unfolded and why Camp Mystic was in a hazardous location
More than 120 people have died and at least 160 others are still missing after horrific floods struck central Texas over the July Fourth weekend. Heavy rainfall, rocky terrain, and the nearby Gulf climate combined to quickly turn the Guadalupe River into a destructive torrent across Kerr County and the Texas Hill Country. The swath of land through which the Guadalupe passes – including Camp Mystic, where at least 27 children and counselors were killed – has earned the nickname "flash flood alley," and hundreds have died there over the years. As the search for victims goes on, the question people are asking is: How could this happen? It began with moisture from Tropical Storm Barry that drifted over Texas in the first few days of July, said Bob Fogarty, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office. There, it collided with an upper-level low pressure system, which parked it in place. A weather balloon launched by the weather service showed near-record moisture in the upper atmosphere, said Victor Murphy, a recently retired National Weather Service meteorologist in Texas. With enormous amount of moisture providing fuel, the winds served as the match that caused the storms to explode. Alan Gerard, a recently retired storm specialist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told USA TODAY several factors converged in one of the worst possible flood locations to create a 'horrific' scenario that dropped up to 16 inches of rain over the larger region from July 3 to July 5. Data from Floodbase, a flood tracking company shows how the deluge pulsed through the watershed for days, bringing death and destruction in its wake. Can't see our graphics? Click here to reload the page. Early on July 4, the Guadalupe River at Kerrville was flowing at 3 cubic feet per second. At that rate, it would fill an Olympic-size pool in eight hours. But soon after sunrise, 7:30 a.m., it was gushing at 134,000 cubic feet per second, a rate would fill the same pool in under a second. The river height surged from less than 12 inches to more than 34 feet, the greatest recorded there since recordkeeping began in 1997. That discharge was the second-highest ever recorded by the stream monitor, with data going back to mid-1986. But data between 6:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m, around the time of the peak, hasn't been released − the event was so extreme that hydrologists from the U.S. Geological Survey are still reviewing it. Kerrville is on a list of sites where crews will be conducting what are called indirect measurements based on high-water marks, according to the USGS. Terrain and timing were the biggest factors in the storms, according to Gerard and Murphy. "The whole area is very prone to slow-moving thunderstorms, especially in the summer months,' says Dan DePodwin, vice president of forecast operations at AccuWeather. "The reason for that is the jet stream, a fast-moving river of air at about the level that planes fly, that moves northward in the summer," said DePodwin. And because of its proximity to the Gulf, the region gets "very high rainfall rates," most often during summer, adds Gerard. Geology is another key factor that has earned flash flood alley its nickname. The Balcones Escarpment, running roughly parallel to Interstate 35, is a line of cliffs and steep hills created by a geologic fault, says Hatim Sharif, a hydrologist and civil engineer at the University of Texas, San Antonio. Hill Country is a 'semi-arid area with soils that don't soak up much water, so the water sheets off quickly and the shallow creeks can rise fast,' Sharif says. Texas Public Radio reports that limestone in the area prevents rainwater from soaking into the ground. Instead, the water rushes into valleys. All of these factors and more were present at Camp Mystic. "The terrain is complex or varied," DePodwin says. "So you get water channeling really quickly into narrow areas − in this case the river and river basin. That then obviously flows somewhere, in this case downhill and toward the camp." Camp Mystic is a 700-acre private Christian summer camp for girls about 6 miles south of the town of Hunt in Kerr County. That's in Texas Hill Country, an 11-million-acre region of central-west Texas. Situated between the banks of the Guadalupe River and its Cypress Creek tributary, the camp had just begun its monthlong term for hundreds of girls. The original camp sits alongside the Guadalupe River, and a second camp nearby opened near Cypress Lake in 2020. The camps are bisected by Cypress Creek. Among the 160 missing in the floods are five campers and a counselor from Camp Mystic, which counted at least 27 children and staff among the dead. Many of the camp's structures exist within flood hazard areas defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and new buildings have been built within those boundaries over the years. Over the course both of 30 years, these areas would have a 26% cumulative chance of flooding. Some are in an area known as a regulatory floodway, which must be kept unobstructed for water to move freely during a flood. The camp lost electricity in the early hours of July 4 as heavy rainfall knocked out power. At least 27 campers, some as young as 8, were swept away in the raging waters. According to The Washington Post, many of the girls from a cabin known as the Bubble Inn were lost. The Post reported water came in from two directions, the south fork of the Guadalupe River and from a creek nearby, which created a swirl around the Bubble and Twins cabins. The camp has a storied history in the state, and it has hosted girls from some of Texas' most famous political families. About 700 children were at the camp when the floods struck, said Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Scott Ruskan, an aviation survival technician 3rd class stationed in Corpus Christi, saved 165 people from rising floodwaters in Kerr County, USA TODAY reported. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry Aircraft crew were launched from Air Station Corpus Christi, along with an Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to aid in rescue operations, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard conducted 12 flights to the area and rescued 15 campers from Camp Mystic, the Guard said. The Texas Army and Air National Guard rescued at least 525 people from flooded areas, the Texas National Guard reported. More than 360 people were evacuated by UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, the Guard said. Another 159 people were rescued by land. A similar tragedy known as the Guadalupe River Flood struck Camp Mystic in July 1987. Ten teens died and 33 were injured when a bus and van carrying evacuees were stranded in floodwaters. Flash flooding, 'a rapid rise of water along a stream or in a low-lying urban area,' is the leading storm-related killer in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. Why? 'Most people fail to realize the power of water,' the weather service says. Six inches of rapidly moving water can knock you off your feet. According to water flowing at just 6 mph exerts the same force per unit area as air blowing at EF-5 tornado wind speeds. Water moving at 25 mph has the pressure equivalent of wind blowing at 790 mph, faster than the speed of sound. One-fifth of all direct deaths in flash floods in the full years of 1996-2024 in the United States have been in Texas, a USA TODAY data analysis shows. These are the states with the highest number of fatalities among the 1,923 total deaths: Texas reported 68 direct deaths from flash floods in 2017, which makes 2025 the deadliest year for flash flood deaths for the state in recent decades. Of the 120 deaths in the July 4 storms, 96 were in Kerr County, where the toll includes at least 36 children, USA TODAY reported. Counties with reported fatalities: Ten states, from Massachusetts to California, have sent specially trained teams – including swift-water rescue crews and trained FEMA personnel – to help with recovery, and two other states have crews on the way, USA TODAY reported. Hopes of finding survivors have diminished with each passing day, county officials said July 10. Authorities say they haven't made a "live rescue" since the day of the flood. Gov. Greg Abbott has declared a disaster in 15 Texas counties. Since the flood, many have wondered what could have been done to mitigate the loss of life. The timing of alerts and lack of sirens has been scrutinized. Reporting has shown that the the state's Division of Emergency Management denied Kerr County's requests a decade ago for a $1 million grant to improve its flood warning system. But sirens and alerts are only part of a layered approach to flood warning and mitigation, DePodwin told USA TODAY: "The questions that will have to be answered are: How can we ensure people receive warnings? What type of actions were taken or not taken by local emergency managers, by local officials, by organizers of events? What plans were in place ahead of time? What thought had been given to flood risks in different parts of Hill Country? A perfect weather forecast is only good if it inspires action." CONTRIBUTING: Janet Loehrke, Suhail Bhat, Doyle Rice, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Rick Jervis, Eduardo Cuevas and Kathryn Palmer. SOURCES: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters; National Weather Service; AccuWeather; Nearmap; FEMA; First Street. Read more: These Texas 'flash flood alley' towns have suffered most in horrific flooding What Texas cities flooded? Here's where the most rain fell over the weekend Warnings for deadly Texas flash flooding came with little time to act Terrain and timing conspired to cause 'horrifying' Texas rainfall With just word-of-mouth warning, a man raced 25 miles to save guests at his Texas RV park This is a developing story which may be updated.
