EARLIER THIS month Mayor Thomas Menino announced a new initiative to prepare Boston for a 2-foot rise in the sea. He didn’t waste his breath debating climate change or the causes of global warming. With the devastation of Hurricane Sandy still visible along much of the East Coast, he didn’t need to. The mayor’s approach was characteristically pragmatic: Climate change is here; the floods are coming — let’s get ready. “We can’t predict the next superstorm,” he said. “But we can prepare for it.”
Few people realize how close Boston came to disaster during the hurricane in October — or even during the blizzard earlier this month. If Sandy’s storm surge had hit Boston at high tide, just a few hours earlier than it did, newly developed flood maps show that more than 6 percent of Boston would have been under water. The flood area includes the Charlestown Navy Yard, Gillette headquarters in South Boston, the Aquarium MBTA station, and 65 percent of the Fort Point channel district.
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So glad that the mayor is sensible and planning ahead. Any environmental activist who doesn't think we should adapt is an idiot. Already, even if we stopped all CO2 emissions going forward, the damage is done. Climate change is here.
I've been reading about the waterfront plans and that building in the Fenway right next to the new flood overflow with some trepidation. I don't want to discourage the free market, but at the very least those bozos shouldn't be able to get any government-backed flood insurance. The free market should take its own risks. And there should be some sort of stipulation that anyone building in high risk areas won't get any disaster funds, nor should be allowed to build residential units. Caveat emptor. Why should my tax dollars subsidize idiocy?
Menino is back! Finally a voice of authority spoken with commen sense and vision for the road ahead.
New development brings an opportunity, albeit w/higher up front costs, to build it right, LEED certified and in consideration of weather for today and tomorrow. Does a developer know that a flood insurance policy might costs thousands upon thousands once a project is complete vs. payback incentives of smart building. There are new and ever-changing challenges of climate change and Menino has it right.
Government-backed flood insurance has become a monster of an issue post release of new flood maps. If you want to get a look at the slippery slope that we, all Americans face in losing authority over your own escrow account, read more about "force-placed" flood insurance. FEMA has found a most effective way of fattening the FEMA budget by partnering with banks, profitting togther by putting the grab on escrow accounts, essentially seizing personal funds directly from private escrow accounts (by the thousands) if and when a property is suddenly deemed "in a flood zone". This can happen without any true measure of risk for flooding for any property deemed by the newly released FEMA flood maps. More than the trauma of flood, is the immediate trauma one faces at losing their property to practices smacking of extortion, bullying property owners into a back against the wall stance. To prove otherwise as many have succeeded in doing, will also cost you--often thousands of dollars of dollars for professional services to provide the proof to exempt a property from the flood zone.
See: http://everydaytipsandthoughts.com/according-to-fema-my-house-is-suddenly-in-a-flood-zone/
Banks/mortgage holders have run with this new opportunity to sell out their "valued" customers. Perhaps this was payback for federal bailout money--you take some and we'll take some in fees. Many properties are legitimately in a flood zone but many are not and come with a high cost to prove otherwise. The fact is that there are many cases of bogus "force-placed flood insurance policies being placed, efficiently and effectively fattening up the disaster releif budget and providing fees to banks. isn't this the definition of extortion, perhaps conspiracy?
With enormous sympathy for victims of floods and natural disasters, and even empathy for the challenges facing FEMA to help these victims, the process creates even more victims forced out of their homes due to the high cost of flood insurance. FEMA has this wrong. And, the cycle of building and rebuilding in wetlands is just foolish.
Back to Menino who has the right idea.
Sounds like FEMA is showing some sense
not settled but lets spend $$$
In the mesntime, Gov Patrick is proposing an $850 million expansion of South Station rail lines - right in the middle of a prime flood Zone - in all likelihood without any consideration of the added costs once the "flood risk" has to be mitigated. Sounds like another Big Dig in the making...
what happened to German winters going away?
B-b-b-b-but the Republicans have assured us that Global Warming is a massive hoax perpetrated upon America by Al Gore and all us scientists, in an attempt to destroy Western civilization.
There's nothing to worry about, folks -- Rush Limpfart has told us so!
Carry on as usual.
Nothing here...
Railway yards are one of the more appropriate use for floodplains. Sure beats beach houses and towering buildings that can be undermined. And the nearby USPS could save money (decrease carbon footprint) hawling mail by train and barge instead of trucks. The Athens of America could become also the Venice.
In NY after Sandy they are rebuilding the same way as before, because it was considered a 100 year event, so nothing needs to change. This means that in sensitive facilities were expensive equipment got flooded, they are replacing the equipment in the same location instead of redesigning it to prevent future flooding.
Adaptation by itself is an exercise in futility because without massive and immediate action to combat the climate crisis any adaptation program is dealin multiple most in targets: bigger storms and increases in sea level that may not be linear. We have now experienced 335 months in row in which average global temperature has been above the 20th century norm, and that's only the result of the carbon we have already dumped into the atmosphere.