PROVIDENCE — When it was dedicated in 1966, the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier was considered a paragon of design. And in the nearly six decades since, it has done its job well, protecting downtown Providence from flooding caused by wind-driven storm surges. But as seas have risen and storm patterns have changed, experts have questioned whether…
Providence, RI – Working with the Office of US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, the Providence Resilience Partnership (PRP) recently secured $1million in new funding for the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to assess the climate vulnerability of the Fox Point Hurricane Barrier. The flood barrier, which spans the Providence River, was built between 1960-1966 and…
Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, heatwaves, and droughts, have had a widespread impact throughout the U.S. in recent years. Coinciding with the rise in global temperature, the frequency and intensity of these events have increased, causing severe damage. In 2022, the United States experienced 18 separate extreme weather disaster events, which resulted in significant…
The non-profit group, Rebuild by Design recently released a new report, “Atlas of Disaster” that uncovered startling data. The report shows 90% of US counties have met the cost threshold for a federal disaster declaration in the past decade. According to NOAA data, from 2017 to 2021 alone, a total of 89 climate-fueled events caused…
FEMA and its partners launched the Climate Risk and Resilience Portal (ClimRR), a free access, climate science modeling portal designed for community leaders offering localized data about future climate risks to conduct climate risk-informed analyses in order to support decision-making and adaptation efforts. Initial hazards included in ClimRR are temperature, precipitation, wind and drought conditions. …
NOAA and its partners just released Implementing the Steps to Resilience: A Practitioner’s Guide, a free, practical guide to help communities and local governments incorporate climate risk and equity into their decision-making processes as they work on local climate resilience issues. This handbook offers a significant new resource for those implementing the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit’s Steps…
As of October 2022, the U.S. experienced 15 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters well above the historical average of seven events per year. The 15 weather-related events amounted to $29.3B but this does not reflect the full toll on the communities impacted – significant indirect costs due to public health complications, scarcity of food and…
The 730 pages of the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act include a veritable smorgasbord of climate policy initiatives. Looking for “clean energy” and transportation electrification incentives to transform our economy? They’re in there. Methane and greenhouse gas reduction programs? Yes indeed. What about environmental justice? The IRA includes $9 billion to address climate-related public health disparities; negative…
On Monday September 5, 2022, Rhode Island was stunned by the flash floods following nearly 11 inches of excessive rainfall over much of southern New England. The City of Providence received around 8 inches of rain, which led to the collapse of a building, closure of an interstate highway, displacement of residents, and an undetermined…
By: Richard Asinof PROVIDENCE –Do you pay heed to any of the natural weather signs around you?Are you apt to give providence [pun intended] to when you see dark cloud formations gathering on the horizon with your own eyes?Do you roll down the windows in your car when approaching a dangerous intersection, to hear the threat of…