Cincinnati experienced several days of heavy rain and storms in early April that resulted in historic levels of flooding.
While the flood waters have finally begun to recede, much cleanup work is still needed.
What's happening?
In early April, Cincinnati received a record 5 inches of rain in as many days due to thunderstorms and heavy rains.
As a result, the Ohio River rose to 60.79 feet, the highest level of water the river has seen in nearly 30 years. The last time the water in the river rose significantly was in 1997, when it reached 64.7 feet.
TikTok user Zak (@zakauth) shared a video of the flooding in Cincinnati from April 7 with the caption, "The river is now over 60 ft. This is higher than it's been since February 2018. This is believed to be the highest the river will be this week."
In the video, you can see cars and trees submerged in the flood waters and how the river water almost reaches the bottom of the bridge spanning it.
Now, only weeks later are many businesses beginning to reopen, according to local news outlet WCPO.
"Everybody was scrubbing river silt and squeegeeing it into the outdoors and down the drains," said Ray Busche of a craft brewery in the city called 13 Below Brewery.
Why is this flooding concerning?
While isolated extreme weather events, like days of heavy rain, have always existed, science has shown that the changing climate of the planet is supercharging these weather events and making them even more extreme.
This pattern of supercharging means that weather events like the one in Cincinnati become more powerful, making them more dangerous for people and communities. Even in areas not near the ocean, rains can become heavier when the world's average temperatures are higher, as a bit more water ends up evaporating into the atmosphere and then getting dumped down in heavier bouts of rain.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
|
Do you think America is in a housing crisis? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Definitely 🙁 As temperatures and sea and river levels continue to rise due to human activity, such as using dirty energy sources that give off heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere, the chances of continued (and more frequent) extreme weather events and flooding increase. That means more flooding, like that in Cincinnati, may occur, which endangers people's lives and livelihoods.
As one TikTok user replied to Zak's video, "I drove past this today in KY where I live and the Ohio River destroyed peoples homes that far away … so devastating."
What's being done about the Cincinnati flooding?
City officials began assessing how much damage the water did to roads, bridges, and facilities in the flooded areas and have implemented initial cleanup efforts.
Staff from the Department of Buildings & Inspections have been going door to door in affected residential neighborhoods to determine property damage.
Unfortunately, to stop increased flooding from extreme weather events, changes must be made.
Governments can take action to develop policies promoting clean energy and improving green infrastructure.
Individuals can make small changes in their lives to reduce their carbon footprint. Whether that's recycling more, avoiding using single-use plastics, or switching to an electric vehicle, small changes add up to make a big difference in the climate.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
