3 days ago
State left reeling as flash floods submerge homes and cars, killing at least 3: 'Exercise extreme caution'
State left reeling as flash floods submerge homes and cars, killing at least 3: 'Exercise extreme caution'
Floods have swept through Chattanooga, Tennessee, and other parts of Hamilton County, killing at least three people and leaving at least one person missing, The New York Times reported.
"I've seen flooding throughout my career all over the county," Sheriff Austin Garrett said, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "It's typically concentrated in one area. This is extremely widespread. … I've never seen it to this extent, this widespread in so many areas and impacting travel the way it is."
Officials urged locals to "exercise extreme caution," according to the Associated Press.
What's happening?
Torrential rainfall caused flooding across southeastern Tennessee, shutting down roadways and toppling trees.
A family of three was killed after a tree fell on their vehicle in East Ridge, a suburb of Chattanooga.
"They died on the scene," said Amy Maxwell, a spokesperson for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, per the Times. "It's obviously due to the loose soil that caused the tree to fall."
Another person was declared missing after they tried to cross a flooded roadway and had not been seen since, per the Times.
"Lord, have mercy," said Paul Broughton of nearby Cleveland, who observed firsthand as waters rose and flooded a roadway, according to the Times Free Press. "Little rain here and a little rain there, and all of a sudden it just started coming down, and … it was relentless."
From about 6 p.m. through 8 p.m. Tuesday, Chattanooga's Lovell Field was inundated with 6 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.
The deluge was too much for the area's flood mitigation measures to withstand in such a short period of time, leading to widespread flooding.
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Why does it seem like there have been so many floods lately?
Scientists have long warned that pumping large amounts of heat-trapping pollution into the atmosphere will cause global temperatures to rise, making extreme weather events more severe.
This is particularly true when it comes to the intensity of rainstorms. Warmer air can absorb more moisture than cooler air. When the water from this more-saturated air falls back to the ground as precipitation, it results in more rainfall or snowfall per hour, straining flood-mitigation infrastructure.
According to a study by Climate Central, 88% of 144 U.S. cities have experienced increased rainfall intensity since 1970. Among those cities, rainfall per hour increased by 15%.
Whether natural (such as wetlands) or human-made (storm drains), flood-mitigation measures have a finite capacity for how much water they can take in at one time. When that capacity is exceeded, flooding results.
This problem is particularly pronounced in cities, where widespread pavement gives water nowhere to go except down limited-capacity storm drains.
Floods take lives, destroy homes and businesses, ruin crops, and kill livestock, causing insurance premiums and food prices to go up well beyond flood zones.
What's being done about flooding?
In the short term, local municipalities and property owners can take steps to increase the resiliency of their communities, homes, and businesses. For example, flood walls can make river banks less likely to be breached, while planting more trees and having more exposed ground in urban areas can increase the capacity to absorb rainwater, relieving the pressure on storm drains.
In the long term, however, the only way to reverse the trend of more intense rainfall is to drastically reduce the amount of heat-trapping pollution entering the atmosphere.
To make a difference, you can use your voice and support candidates who share your environmental priorities. Taking things a step further, you can reduce planet-heating pollution by driving an electric vehicle or installing solar panels on your home.
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