4 smart investments helped these communities weather extreme storms

Designing safer and smarter communities that can cope with flooding and other extreme weather is cost-effective and often easier than we assume.

By taking meaningful steps to protect themselves, these vulnerable cities and states became more resilient to storms, while saving tax dollars long-term.

1. Stricter codes, better design deliver for South

After the destruction from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Florida became the nation’s leader for implementing and enforcing superior building codes to reduce the impact of hurricanes. These codes proved their worth during Hurricane Irma this September when buildings were better able to withstand the storm, likely savings millions in damages

Elevating new buildings, as the Florida codes required in flood-prone areas, typically costs less than 1 percent of the total building cost for each foot a building is raised.

Such investments pay for themselves in as little as one or two years in areas with the highest risk of flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has found.

Louisiana’s Jefferson Parish invested $2.4 million to elevate 23 homes after Hurricane Katrina – a significant, but worthwhile, investment. When Hurricane Isaac struck in 2012, none of these homes were flooded, avoiding some $2.2 million in losses.

The upgrades to these homes nearly paid for themselves after a single storm event. With more storms in the offing, the return on this investment will continue to grow.

2. Wetlands saved NJ $425 million in damages

Preserved salt marshes, mangroves, reefs and other natural wetland defenses prevented $425 million in damages in New Jersey during the 2012 superstorm, a Lloyd’s of London study found.

On average, wetlands in the northeast can reduce property damages from storms and flooding by 20 percent, Lloyds reported. New Jersey’s Cape May Point, for example, suffered virtually no damage during Sandy after a $15-million project to rehabilitate wetlands and dunes in the area in the early 2000s.

Other countries see similar advantages to protecting and restoring their natural coastal infrastructure.

In seven out of eight Caribbean nations, for example, reef and mangrove restoration proved to be one of the most cost-effective approaches for building coastal resilience.

3. $13-million dune project kept Fla. homes safe

Dunes successfully protected Jacksonville’s beach-front homes during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, except for where gaps between dunes allowed floodwaters into the streets.

After taking the brunt of Matthew’s waves, the eroded dunes needed to be restored quickly before the inevitable next big event. Fortunately, the Army Corps of Engineers finished a $13.5-million project to repair the dunes just a week before Hurricane Irma hit in September 2017.

While other parts of Jacksonville experienced flooding, homes along this 6.5 mile stretch of beach were protected.

Healthy dunes are one our best natural means to protect built infrastructure from storm waves and can even thwart storm surges. 

The 600,000 newly planted sea oats along Jacksonville Beach, which also survived Irma, will expand to strengthen and grow these critical dunes.

4. NC city buys out flood-prone homes, saves $25M

Since 1999, the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina have gradually removed 400 homes, apartment buildings and businesses from flood-prone areas, saving taxpayers $25 million in the process.

The voluntary buy-out program has created a safer building stock in the area while recreating an open floodplain. This, in turn, expanded recreation and public space in the rapidly growing Charlotte metropolitan area.

By making room for rivers to expand temporarily during heavy rains, these actions will reduce downstream flooding. Such investments, expected to help the community avoid $300 million in future flooding costs, will boost Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s economic competitiveness long-term.

Resilience planning must be prioritized

Beyond the investments that states and cities are making today to protect citizens from extreme weather, there are steps we should take as a nation.

Rethinking and expanding regular use of flood insurance far beyond the traditional 100-year floodplain is one – creating regional plans to prevent upstream flooding is another.

It will require states and the federal government to make comprehensive resilience planning a priority – work we think should begin now.

Bad storm coming your way? We already know which grid fixes can keep the lights on. Here are 3. krives November 15, 2017 - 02:05

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Intellligent, forward-thinking and based on good common sense.

judy hatfield December 16, 2017 at 10:20 pm

The U.S. government recently released the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) – the work of fifty climate science experts who compiled and analyzed the latest knowledge about the physical science of climate change from more than 1,500 scientific journal articles and reports. The CSSR is often referred to as the first volume of the Fourth […]

The U.S. government recently released the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) – the work of fifty climate science experts who compiled and analyzed the latest knowledge about the physical science of climate change from more than 1,500 scientific journal articles and reports. The CSSR is often referred to as the first volume of the Fourth […]

By Ilissa Ocko

Earth as seen from a NOAA weather satellite. Photo: NASA

The U.S. government recently released the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) – the work of fifty climate science experts who compiled and analyzed the latest knowledge about the physical science of climate change from more than 1,500 scientific journal articles and reports.

The CSSR is often referred to as the first volume of the Fourth National Climate Assessment. National Climate Assessments have been Congressionally mandated since 1990 to be prepared every four years. The second and final volume of the Fourth National Climate Assessment will focus on societal impacts and will be released in 2018.

The CSSR is packed with valuable and scientifically robust information – but it’s almost 600 pages long. If you don’t have time to read it all, don’t worry. We quote some of the most important, and most alarming, facts below.

Here are some of the major takeaways of the CSSR:

It’s now

• Global average temperature since 1900 is the warmest in the history of modern civilization. Global annually averaged surface air temperature has increased by about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1.0 degrees Celsius) over the last 115 years (1901 to 2016).
• Sea level rise is accelerating and has already impacted dozens of U.S. cities. Globally averaged sea level has risen by about 7 to 8 inches since 1900, with almost half (about 3 inches) of that rise occurring since 1993. The incidence of daily tidal flooding is accelerating in more than 25 Atlantic and Gulf Coast cities.
• Several extreme weather and climate events are increasing in intensity and frequency across the U.S. and the world. Heavy rainfall is increasing in intensity and frequency, heatwaves have become more frequent in the United States since the 1960s, and the incidence of large forest fires in the western United States and Alaska has increased since the early 1980s. However, extreme cold temperatures and cold waves are less frequent.
• Earlier spring melt and reduced snowpack are affecting water resources in the western U.S.

It’s us

• There is no convincing alternative explanation supported by observational evidence that warming over the last century is caused by anything other than human activities. It is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century.

It’s not over

• Without major reductions in emissions, annual average global temperature relative to preindustrial times could increase by 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius) or more by the end of this century. With significant reductions in emissions, the increase in annual average global temperature could be limited to 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) or less.
• With further warming comes further sea level rise. Global average sea levels are expected to continue to rise — by at least several inches in the next 15 years and by one to four feet by 2100. A rise of as much as eight feet by 2100 cannot be ruled out. Sea level rise will be higher than the global average on the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States.

The CSSR should put any doubts about whether climate change is a serious threat to rest. The report makes it crystal clear that it is – and that we need to act before it gets worse.

The U.S. government recently released the Climate Science Special Report (CSSR) – the work of fifty climate science experts who compiled and analyzed the latest knowledge about the physical science of climate change from more than 1,500 scientific journal articles and reports. The CSSR is often referred to as the first volume of the Fourth […]

The post It’s now, it’s us, it’s not over – the top 7 takeaways from the new climate change report appeared first on Climate 411.

Written by Ronnie Citron-Fink

Most women have morning routines that include beauty products. This morning I decided to count the products I slather on my face and body. Why? Because I learned the average woman uses 12 products containing 168 unique ingredients every single day, and I wanted to determine...

Written by Marcia G. Yerman

The Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4) has been released. Over 1500 journals and reports were examined to “assesses the physical science of climate change.” It has presented findings stating – unequivocally – that human activity is a dominant cause of global warming. Here are the...

In what could be the iconic decision of COP 23, negotiators in Bonn agreed to new future negotiation processes to “jointly address” a number of new agriculture topics, overcoming longstanding hurdles that had blocked progress on the topic in recent years. Why is this important? Emissions from agriculture are expected to continue growing as the […]

Report outlines opportunities for comprehensive, coast-wide restoration through key projects  (NEW ORLEANS – November 15, 2017) Today, leading national and local conservation groups working together to address Louisiana’s severe land loss crisis released a report, Restoring the Mississippi River Delta: A Recommended List of Coastal Restoration Projects and Programs, outlining 17 priority projects for restoring the Mississippi River Delta and coastal Louisiana. Restore the Mississippi River Delta – a coalition comprised of Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, National ...

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The post Conservation Groups Identify Priority Projects to Restore Louisiana’s Coast appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Report outlines opportunities for comprehensive, coast-wide restoration through key projects  (NEW ORLEANS – November 15, 2017) Today, leading national and local conservation groups working together to address Louisiana’s severe land loss crisis released a report, Restoring the Mississippi River Delta: A Recommended List of Coastal Restoration Projects and Programs, outlining 17 priority projects for restoring the Mississippi River Delta and coastal Louisiana. Restore the Mississippi River Delta – a coalition comprised of Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, National ...

Read The Full Story

The post Conservation Groups Identify Priority Projects to Restore Louisiana’s Coast appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

Report outlines opportunities for comprehensive, coast-wide restoration through key projects  (NEW ORLEANS – November 15, 2017) Today, leading national and local conservation groups working together to address Louisiana’s severe land loss crisis released a report, Restoring the Mississippi River Delta: A Recommended List of Coastal Restoration Projects and Programs, outlining 17 priority projects for restoring the Mississippi River Delta and coastal Louisiana. Restore the Mississippi River Delta – a coalition comprised of Environmental Defense Fund, the National Wildlife Federation, National ...

Read The Full Story

The post Conservation Groups Identify Priority Projects to Restore Louisiana’s Coast appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

By Boma Brown-West

On Monday, the Mind the Store campaign released their second annual review of retailer action on toxic chemicals: Who’s Minding the Store? – A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals. The report card evaluates 30 retailers across a variety of product sectors, including cosmetics, electronics, baby products, and grocery. How are retailers doing? Let’s take a closer look.

The Process

The retailer report card evaluates retailers across 14 categories of action, including transparency, accountability, and safer alternatives. These scores are then rolled up into an overall final letter grade. Mind the Store starts with publicly available information (e.g., websites and corporate sustainability policies), shares the preliminary score and report with retailers, allowing them to provide additional information, and then updates the scores as needed. The full methodology is shared online.  Mind the Store graded 30 retailers this year, which includes 19 retailers that have been graded for the first time. Apple, Walmart, and CVS (tied with Ikea) took the top spots, scoring B+ or higher. While some retailers scored well, and even improved their scores from last year, the majority of retailers received a D or F grade. In fact, the average grade across all retailers evaluated was a D+. This is particularly disappointing for retailers that focus on products for infants and young children, who are more vulnerable to the health impacts of toxic chemicals in products.

New retailer ranking shows a major divide in leaders and laggards. EDF’s 5 Pillars of Leadership…
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What sets the leaders apart?

The top retailers publish public chemicals policies and goals and allocate dedicated staff to ensure success. Notably, these retailers also go beyond regulatory requirements when restricting or eliminating chemicals of concern from products on their shelves. For example, Ikea has a “Beyond Restricted Substances List” of chemicals that are prohibited from their products that goes well beyond any legal requirements. Transparency is also important to the leading retailers. For instance, Apple and Walmart publicly share their progress in eliminating chemicals of concern on an annual basis. Furthermore, these top retailers continue to raise the bar on safer chemicals policies, regularly expanding the commitments within their policies. It’s promising to see extensive chemical policies across a variety of retail sectors and real action behind these policies.

Boma Brown-West, Senior Manager, Consumer Health, EDF+Business

How can other retailers improve?

Institutional Commitment is the first of our 5 Pillars of Leadership for safer chemicals in the marketplace for a reason: it sets the foundation on which all other action is based. Among the top-performing retailers, we see commitments cemented in written chemicals policies.  Without this written (and publicly-available) policy it is hard to make any substantial progress in making and selling safer products. For those retailers that need help getting started on this step, EDF has outlined the key features of strong chemicals policies and developed two easy to follow templates for particular retailer segments: a Model Chemicals Policy for Retailers of Formulated Products and a Model Food Additives Policy for Grocers.

Consumers deserve to feel like they can trust the chemicals and ingredients in their products, whether food, electronics, or toys. We applaud the retailers that have stepped up to the plate, and hope that efforts like the Mind the Store report make it clear where more action is needed.

Follow Boma Brown-West on Twitter.

 

On Monday, the Mind the Store campaign released their second annual review of retailer action on toxic chemicals: Who’s Minding the Store? – A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals. The report card evaluates 30 retailers across a variety of product sectors, including cosmetics, electronics, baby products, and grocery. How are retailers […]

On Monday, the Mind the Store campaign released their second annual review of retailer action on toxic chemicals: Who’s Minding the Store? – A Report Card on Retailer Actions to Eliminate Toxic Chemicals. The report card evaluates 30 retailers across a variety of product sectors, including cosmetics, electronics, baby products, and grocery. How are retailers […]

By Tom Neltner

Tom Neltner, J.D., is Chemicals Policy Director

Yesterday, after three years of deliberations, California’s Appellate Court for the Sixth District held that three defendant companies – Sherwin-Williams Company, NL Industries, and ConAgra Grocery Products[1]— created a public nuisance in ten plaintiff jurisdictions in the state by promoting the use of lead-based paint in the interior of residences built before 1951 even though they had actual knowledge of the harm the paint would pose to children. The case now goes back to the trial court to determine the amount that defendants must pay into a fund to remediate pre-1951 homes with lead-based paint in those jurisdictions and to appoint a suitable receiver to manage the fund.

The Court of Appeals’ decision requires remediation of the lead-based paint, but not its complete removal, in the ten California jurisdictions that were plaintiffs in the case. The jurisdictions are: seven counties, Santa Clara, Alameda, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Mateo, Solano, and Ventura; two cities, Oakland and San Diego; and the city and county of San Francisco.

The case, which began in 2000, rests on public nuisance law in California. While all states prohibit public nuisances to protect the public from threats to their health and safety, the requirements vary significantly among the states and rely heavily on precedent set in prior state court decisions. In California, a public nuisance action requires proof that a defendant knowingly created or assisted in the creation of a substantial and unreasonable interference with a public right. The defendants must have actual knowledge of the public health hazard.

In 2010, the California Supreme Court overruled a previous decision by the trial court and provided key interpretations of public nuisance law that shaped yesterday’s court decision. While the paint companies are expected to appeal this decision to the California Supreme Court, the decision is likely to stand because the Appellate Court hewed closely that court’s 2010 decision.

The Appellate Court for the Sixth District was reviewing a 2014 trial court’s decision that the Sherwin-Williams Company, NL Industries, and ConAgra Grocery Products must pay $1.15 billion to remediate homes built before 1978 with lead-based paint in the plaintiff’s jurisdiction. The three judge panel of the Court of Appeals narrowed the scope of the trial court’s decision from homes built before 1978 to those built before 1951. The panel found that there was insufficient evidence that the three companies had promoted lead-based paint for interior residential use after 1950, even though they may have sold the paint after that date.

Similar cases had been brought in other states including Illinois, New Jersey and Rhode Island. In 2008, the Rhode Island Supreme Court overturned a trial court decision finding paint companies liable for the state’s public nuisance law. The California court found its case was different because it involved an extensive assessment of voluminous evidence presented at trial. The other cases were decided on pleading and did not get to the merits of the evidence.

While lead-based paint is not the only source of lead exposure to children, it is the most significant for those children living in homes with lead-based paint, especially when the paint is deteriorated. Thousands of children still live in homes with lead-based paint hazards – with poor and minority children at greatest risk. This court decision is a first step that will hold companies responsible and result in the removal of toxic lead paint in homes across California and may serve as a roadmap for other states.

[1] ConAgra was a defendant because it had owned Fuller Paint Company’s liabilities through a series of mergers.

GOMESA Provides Consistent Stream of Funding to Restore Nationally-Significant Landscape (NEW ORLEANS – November 14, 2017) Signed into law in 2006, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) allows for the sharing of 37.5 percent of qualified Outer Continental Shelf oil drilling revenues with oil-producing Gulf Coast states. Louisiana voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment committing GOMESA funds to be used exclusively for restoration and protection activities. Now in Phase II, revenues from GOMESA to the State of Louisiana ...

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The post Conservation Groups Underscore Support for Critical Coastal Restoration Funding for Louisiana appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

GOMESA Provides Consistent Stream of Funding to Restore Nationally-Significant Landscape (NEW ORLEANS – November 14, 2017) Signed into law in 2006, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) allows for the sharing of 37.5 percent of qualified Outer Continental Shelf oil drilling revenues with oil-producing Gulf Coast states. Louisiana voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment committing GOMESA funds to be used exclusively for restoration and protection activities. Now in Phase II, revenues from GOMESA to the State of Louisiana ...

Read The Full Story

The post Conservation Groups Underscore Support for Critical Coastal Restoration Funding for Louisiana appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

GOMESA Provides Consistent Stream of Funding to Restore Nationally-Significant Landscape (NEW ORLEANS – November 14, 2017) Signed into law in 2006, the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) allows for the sharing of 37.5 percent of qualified Outer Continental Shelf oil drilling revenues with oil-producing Gulf Coast states. Louisiana voters overwhelmingly passed a constitutional amendment committing GOMESA funds to be used exclusively for restoration and protection activities. Now in Phase II, revenues from GOMESA to the State of Louisiana ...

Read The Full Story

The post Conservation Groups Underscore Support for Critical Coastal Restoration Funding for Louisiana appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.

On today’s show John Lane and Jerry Graves from the St. Bernard Parish Coastal Division join Jacques and Simone to talk about the progress on the rebuilding and coastal front, particularly since Hurricane Katrina in St. Bernard Parish, The Biloxi Marsh Oyster Reef restoration, the Chandeleur Islands & the efforts to restore these islands, their event "Cook-Off for the Coast" on November 18th and much more! Below is a transcript of this week's Delta Dispatches Podcast. Subscribe to our feed ...

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The post Delta Dispatches: Sitting Down with the St. Bernard Parish Coastal Division appeared first on Restore the Mississippi River Delta.