 | | An aerial view of the damaged Oroville Dam spillway and the huge debris field below it, in a photo taken on February 27, 2017. A category 4 atmospheric river in February 2017 swelled the rivers that flow into California's second largest reservoir. The damaged spillway cost more than $1 billion to repair. Photo courtesy of Dale Kolke / California Department of Water Resources |
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| Rain comes from many sources in the American West, but none is as destructive as an atmospheric river, according to a new study that assesses flood damage caused by these conveyor belts of moisture. Previous studies have established the fundamental role that atmospheric rivers play in water supply. The number of such storms in a given year determines whether California experiences severe drought or catastrophic floods. But much less was known about the economic costs of a storm system that can deliver an amount of rain equivalent to 25 Mississippi Rivers. |
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A report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, a federal watchdog agency, found that more than half of Superfund sites in the United States are at risk from climate change. 945 of 1,571 non-federal Superfund sites, or 60 percent, are in areas vulnerable to flooding, storm surges, sea level rise, or wildfires. As climate change fuels more extreme weather patterns, these sites will be at greater risk. |
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What's Up With Water - December 2, 2019
“What’s Up With Water” condenses the need-to-know news on the world’s water into a snapshot for the start of the workweek via podcast.
This week's episode includes coverage on India’s Supreme Court, which ruled that if state governments fail to provide clean air and water to their citizens, they will have to pay them compensation. Additional international news includes a look at South Africa, which has plans to invest billions of dollars to confront crippling water shortages. Finally, in news for the United States, regulators in Kentucky say that drastic changes are needed to rescue faltering water districts in the state.
You can listen to the latest edition of What's Up With Water, as well as all past editions, by downloading the podcasts on iTunes, following Circle of Blue on Spotify, following on iHeart Radio, and subscribing on SoundCloud. |
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| From Circle of Blue's Archives: |
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 | | Photo © Brett Walton/Circle of Blue |
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| Flooded by hurricanes twice in three years, the small town of Fair Bluff, North Carolina, is a poster child for the devastation of powerful, slow-moving storms. The town’s struggle to recover from those storms reflects demographic, economic, and technological changes that are eroding small communities across rural America. |
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