Environment made Ian’s flooding worse

Experts warn sprawling development in coastal states not sustainable

Dinah Voyles Pulver

USA TODAY  Oct. 2, 2022

Barbara Liz-Ortiz tried everything she could to bring her young daughter’s fever down, giving the child fluids and even a cold shower. The one thing she didn’t have was medicine, and she couldn’t leave her home to get any.

Like thousands of Floridians who weathered Hurricane Ian, Liz-Ortiz was trapped at home – not by devastating winds or storm surge but by catastrophic flooding.

'We can’t leave the house,' Liz-Ortiz said Thursday, when her family and many neighbors were stranded when water storage areas overflowed in their Buena Ventura Lakes subdivision in Kissimmee, Florida.

Ian drenched some areas with up to 17inches of rain as it slogged across the state Wednesday and Thursday. Floodwaters spilled out of scenic lakes, ponds and rivers and into homes, forcing emergency evacuations and rescues that continued through Friday.

Researchers who study flooding, development and climate change were horrified by the emerging images but not surprised. For years, they’ve warned sprawling development in Florida and other coastal states isn’t sustainable, especially with the warming climate supercharging hurricane rainfall.

Full Article was in the Oct. 2, 2022 Tennessean newspaper page A23