Floods News

November 20, 2024

Top Headlines

Artificial Intelligence Can Be Used to Predict River Discharge and Warn of Potential Flooding

Nov. 19, 2024 — Researchers have created a method that uses artificial intelligence to more accurately predict short-term river discharge using historical data from two hydrometric stations on the Ottawa River along ...

How Flood Risk Affects Home Values

Nov. 19, 2024 — Houses for sale in a flood zone are around 10% cheaper than surrounding areas, according to new research. However, the reduced price tag is not worth the extra risk and can burden buyers with long-term insurance costs, according to new ...

Some of the World's Least Polluting Populations Are at Much Greater Risk of Flooding Fueled by Climate Change

Nov. 7, 2024 — A new study has exposed for the first time how inhabitants of the smallest countries globally, contributing least to climate change, already bear the brunt of its devastating consequences and the ...

Coastal Flooding During Hurricanes Helene and Milton Tracked

Oct. 29, 2024 — A web-based application that gathers crowdsourced data to identify flooding and inform policy in coastal communities provided scientists with essential data from hurricanes Helene and Milton. The app can help inform decisions about policy and ...

Latest Headlines

updated 11:25pm EST

Companies and Investors Can Now Get Smarter When It Comes to Nature

Oct. 28, 2024 — Amid growing pressure to report on nature-related risks and impacts, an open-source footprinting tool offers a scientific and transparent ...

Marshes Provide Cost-Effective Coastal Protection

Oct. 23, 2024 — Protecting and enhancing salt marshes in front of protective seawalls can significantly help protect some coastlines, at a cost that makes this approach reasonable to ...

A 'Worrying Confluence' of Flood Risk, Social Vulnerability and Climate Change Denial

Oct. 23, 2024 — In certain parts of the United States, especially Appalachia, New England and the Northwest, the ability of residents to prepare for and respond to ...

AI-Trained CCTV in Rivers Can Spot Blockages and Reduce Floods

Oct. 9, 2024 — Smart CCTV systems trained to spot blockages in urban waterways could become an important future tool in flood prevention, new research has ...

Where Flood Policy Helps Most -- And Where It Could Do More

Sep. 30, 2024 — A Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) program provides important flood insurance relief, researchers say. But due to its design, it's used more in communities with greater means to protect ...

Breakthrough Study Predicts Catastrophic River Shifts That Threaten Millions Worldwide

Sep. 19, 2024 — Researchers have uncovered key insights into the dangerous phenomenon of 'river avulsion,' offering a way to predict when and where rivers may ...

Over Two-Million Acres of Floodplain Development Occurred in U.S. in Last Two Decades, Study Finds

Sep. 13, 2024 — A nationwide analysis of community-level floodplain development found that over two-million acres of floodplain were developed over the past two ...

Dams Built to Prevent Coastal Flooding Can Worsen It

Sep. 13, 2024 — The common practice of building dams to prevent flooding can actually contribute to more intense coastal flood events, according to a new study. By analyzing data and measurements from Charleston ...

Summer Storms Are Stronger and More Frequent Over Urban Areas

Sep. 10, 2024 — Summer storms are generally more frequent, intense and concentrated over cities than over rural areas, according to new, detailed observations of eight cities and their surroundings. The results ...

Deserts' Biggest Threat? Flooding

Sep. 9, 2024 — A new study has found that the increase in soil erosion in coastal areas due to desertification is worsening flood impacts on Middle Eastern and North African port cities. The researchers focused ...

Traditional Infrastructure Design Often Makes Extreme Flooding Events Worse

Sep. 4, 2024 — Much of the nation's stormwater infrastructure, designed decades to a century ago to prevent floods, can exacerbate flooding during the severe weather events that are increasing around the ...

New Model to Enhance Extreme Rainfall Prediction

Aug. 29, 2024 — Scientists have developed new guidance and tools that could significantly improve the prediction of life-threatening flash ...

Engineers Develop AI System for Real-Time Sensing of Flooded Roads

Aug. 28, 2024 — Roadway-related incidents are a leading cause of flood fatalities nationwide, but limited flood-reporting tools make it difficult to evaluate road conditions in real ...

Coastal Cities Must Adapt Faster to Climate Change

Aug. 27, 2024 — Coastal cities play a key role in the global economy and have important functions for society at large. At the same time, they are severely affected by the impact of climate change. That is why their ...

Research Shows Reducing Future Global Flooding Hinges on Cutting Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Aug. 21, 2024 — Pioneering research forecasts worldwide flooding is likely to be significantly worse in future decades if countries fail to meet official pledges to cut carbon ...

Urban Street Networks, Building Density Shape Severity of Floods

Aug. 19, 2024 — The design of streets and layout of buildings have an impact on a city's resilience in the face of increasingly severe floods brought on by climate change. Researchers look at buildings and ...

Combined Effects of Plastic Pollution and Seawater Flooding Amplify Threats to Coastal Plant Species

Aug. 2, 2024 — A new study highlights how a combination of environmental stressors -- namely plastic pollution and seawater flooding -- can increase the threats faced by plants in some of the planet's critical ...

Barriers Designed to Prevent Saltwater Intrusion May Worsen Inland Flooding

July 31, 2024 — Building protection barriers without accounting for potential inland flooding risks from groundwater can eventually worsen the very issues they aim to ...

Bold Moves Needed for California Agriculture to Adapt to Climate Change

July 29, 2024 — California needs urgent and bold measures to adapt its $59 billion agriculture sector to climate change as the amount of water available for crops declines, according to a new report. The report ...

Nationwide Flood Models Poorly Capture Risks to Households and Properties, Study Finds

July 24, 2024 — Government agencies, insurance companies and disaster planners rely on national flood risk models from the private sector that aren't reliable at smaller levels such as neighborhoods and ...

Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Pose an Acute Challenge for Cities With Combined Sewer Systems

June 27, 2024 — Older coastal cities, like Philadelphia, New York and Boston are at risk of being inundated by untreated sewage during floods. Due in part to the design of their combined sewer systems and in part ...

An Earthquake Changed the Course of the Ganges: Could It Happen Again?

June 17, 2024 — A major earthquake 2,500 years ago caused one of the largest rivers on Earth to abruptly change course, according to a new study. The previously undocumented quake rerouted the main channel of the ...

Researchers Use 3D Visualization to Predict, Prevent Hurricane Damage

June 10, 2024 — The researchers say 3D visualization of hurricanes and storm surges allows them to understand how flooding will impact coastal communities by allowing them to vividly see how each building and road ...

Crucial Shift in River Nile's Evolution During Ancient Egypt Discovered

June 3, 2024 — Researchers have explored how the River Nile evolved over the past 11,500 years and how changes in its geography could have helped shape the fortunes of ancient Egyptian civilization. Research ...

Researchers Call for Return of Sumas Lake Following Devastating 2021 Floods

June 3, 2024 — A new proposal has emerged in response to the November 2021 floods that swept Sumas Prairie in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, causing mass evacuations and millions in damages. Instead of ...

Social Networks Can Influence Perception of Climate-Change Risk

May 22, 2024 — Short but severe episodes of flooding from hurricanes in Texas and Florida triggered a nationwide increase in flood insurance sign-ups depending on how socially connected a county was to the flooded ...

Green Infrastructure Plans Need to Consider Historical Racial Inequalities

May 21, 2024 — Urban greening projects should consider historical development patterns and past discriminatory practices to avoid exacerbating the unequal distribution of environmental benefits, says an urban and ...

Warming Climate Intensifies Flash Droughts Worldwide

May 21, 2024 — Sudden, severe dry spells known as flash droughts are rising in intensity around the world, with a notable exception in mountainous Central Asia, where flash drought extent is shrinking, according to ...

'Sunny Day Flooding' Increases Fecal Contamination of Coastal Waters

Apr. 23, 2024 — A new study finds that 'sunny day flooding,' which occurs during high tides, increases the levels of fecal bacteria in coastal waters. While the elevated bacteria levels in the coastal ...

Florida Wildlife Corridor Eases Worst Impacts of Climate Change

Apr. 16, 2024 — Florida is projected to lose 3.5 million acres of land to development by 2070. A new study highlights how Florida can buffer itself against both climate change and population pressures by conserving ...