The Unseen Consequences of Floods and Climate Change
Written on
Chapter 1: The Reality of Floods
When you're clearing out the murky water from your home and tossing the soaked carpet onto the street, the lingering odor is unmistakable.
It's a blend of wet fabric, river sludge, and raw sewage. This is the unpleasant truth about floods that rarely makes the headlines: the persistent smell. You can't escape it. The odor is unforgettable.
A child poses for the camera while navigating a surfboard through submerged houses, and a kettle drifts by in the murky waters alongside a car. The homes have been reduced to mere shells, their walls coated with an unidentifiable mix of filth as drains overflow.
“Where’s the army?” a woman exclaims as she discards her furniture into a pile. “I’ve lived here for twenty years, and look at it now.”
The Alarming Predictions for 2022
With hospitals expecting a surge in admissions as infections spread to older populations, the warnings for our planet this year are deafening. Yet, did we truly hear them amid the pandemic chaos?
Flooding serves as a metaphor: patients inundate hospitals, and we brace for another wave brought on by the pandemic. While we fret over COVID-19 disrupting Christmas, climate change threatens to submerge more homes.
The upcoming year is poised to continue the trend of record-high global temperatures. This is climate change, not just weather: 2016 holds the title for the warmest year on record, but climate refers to long-term patterns. The trajectory is upward.
Every year in the top ten warmest years has occurred this century, with the five hottest years all recorded from 2015 onward. Dr. Doug Smith, a prominent climate prediction expert from the UK Met Office, states, “The consistent rise in global average temperatures above 1.0°C since 2015 obscures significant regional temperature fluctuations. Some areas, like the Arctic, have experienced warming by several degrees since pre-industrial times.”
A Gradual Yet Sudden Collapse
The Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, comparable in size to Kansas, has developed a significant crack and is on the verge of collapsing into the increasingly warm ocean, potentially dragging much of Western Antarctica's ice with it.
The process is slow initially, but then it occurs all at once. Erin Pettit, a glaciologist at Oregon State University, likens it to a cracked car window that eventually shatters after hitting a bump.
Another Unseasonably Warm Day
It used to snow in this region during winter; today, the temperature is 15 degrees Celsius with rain. Yes, that's weather (there may still be a winter with snow), but it also reflects a broader warming trend.
Small islands are already feeling the brunt of climate change, and this year, its effects will become more pronounced in our own communities. Gradually at first, but then all at once.
Historically, floods have signified apocalyptic events across various cultures and religions, obliterating everything in their path.
What follows a flood? This aspect is seldom covered in the news—it's not dramatic enough. The aftermath is both intricate and straightforward. All that’s needed is a broom, teamwork, and the will to rebuild.
What if we started collaborating now instead?
I invite you to share your thoughts, feelings, and experiences regarding climate change this year. Please leave a comment about your own encounters with climate-related issues.
Further Reading:
5 Heartbreaking Quotes from Island Nations at COP26
Chapter 2: The Impact of Climate Change on Flooding
This video explains the connection between climate change and increasing flooding events, shedding light on the underlying causes.
Discover how climate change exacerbates flooding and the implications for affected communities in this informative video.