KANSAS CITY — A new report from an environmental group said riverfront communities face a dual threat from global warming and improper flood plain management.
The National Wildlife Federation said global warming has led to more heavy rainfall events, with the Midwest and south-central regions of the U.S. showing the largest rainfall increases.
The combination of that heavy rainfall and overbuilding in flood plains leave residents along rivers vulnerable.
The NWF recommended taking steps to reduce global warming and said the government should restrict building in high-risk areas and encourage voluntary buyouts of high-risk properties and then turn those areas into either open spaces or require increased building elevations.