National Parks Conservation Association’s Post

To our neighbors, colleagues, and communities affected by Hurricane Helene, our hearts go out to you. The devastation caused by this storm, from the coast to far inland, is a stark reminder of our vulnerability to intensifying climate hazards. As we come to grips with Helene's impact, we're here to support you in rebuilding and recovering. We know each area faces its own unique challenges. That's why we're ready to help with everything from checking building safety to tackling mold and water damage, ensuring clean air indoors, and addressing any environmental concerns that crop up. Our team is committed to finding solutions that fit your specific needs, whether it's immediate help or long-term planning to make our communities more resilient. As cleanup begins, please remember to stay safe: 🔹 Steer clear of standing water – it might be contaminated with hazardous chemicals or be electrically charged. 🔹Be extra cautious around damaged buildings – they could be unstable. 🔹Wait for the all-clear from officials before returning to affected areas. The path to recovery and increased resilience is complex, but it's a journey we're committed to supporting every step of the way. https://lnkd.in/gXBg-hah

Some of the best commentary I've seen on Hurricane Helene has been here on LinkedIn - Susan Crawford and Rob Young, PhD, PG are two people you should follow if you aren't already. A few years back, I co-founded the American Society of Adaptation Professionals' Climate Migration and Managed Retreat group and did a lot with it for a couple of years. What at the time was a thing some academics talked about and was just becoming a novelty news story (look at those poor villages in Alaska!) has grown into almost a default assumption in the climate world - a lot of people will have to move. And I'm glad it has, because this isn't "doomerism", but cold reality, and the sooner we face reality, the better our chances are in dealing most successfully with the hand we have been dealt. But popular pretty early on was the idea of "climate havens", that certain areas would be safe from what would happen elsewhere. And over the past few years, this has been disproved forcefully. Just in North America alone, the extreme heat events in Cascadia a couple of years ago challenged my personal assumptions. The increasing wildfires threatening the beautiful mountain retreats and hippie hideaways of the West from California to Colorado marked that idea off the list - the December 2020 videos of wildfires from inside a Chuck E. Cheese in suburban Boulder still freak me out. The massive storms hitting Montpelier and nearby seemed almost like a direct message that Vermont shouldn't get too comfortable. And this weekend's devastation in and around Asheville, NC - another place assumed to be a kind of lifeboat - marks off yet another place from the list. I've been there and to some of the tiny spots on the map around it. I know it's quite a mini-hub of climate activity. And while I'm sure they'll build back better, there are a lot of places in south Georgia, in the non-hip parts of Appalachia, that aren't going to get the focus that Asheville will, and just like after Hurricane Maria in parts of Puerto Rico in 2017, there's a chance that things will never be the same. I'm where I'm at now, in large part because of my own calculations for my kids and (God willing) theirs as well. Surrounded by food production, on the shores of the world's largest deposit of fresh water, lots of cultural and physical infrastructure still here from a more prosperous age, it's not a bad place to dig in and build something. And yes, some places will be a lot better off relatively than others. But there are no perfectly safe places, no places to safely watch the world burn. The most effective resilience is making connections to your neighbors and your community. Don't imagine that this is a matter of helping "others" who are safely distinct from yourself. What happened in San Juan and Portland and Montpelier and Asheville will not stay safely in poor neighborhoods behind a screen. The climate doesn't care about borders or bank accounts. Don't get overconfident.

Hurricane Helene’s landfall impacted several southern US States: Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. It is the second-deadliest hurricane to strike the US mainland in 50 years, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed 1,833 people. The Category 4 storm entered Florida’s Big Bend on 26 September, bringing 140 mph winds, the strongest and first Category 4 storm to hit the area since 1851 (Petra et al., 2024). It tore through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, weakening as it moved inland and leaving a wake of destruction. As of 27 September, more than 4.5 million people in six states, including Tennessee and Virginia, have lost power. According to the New York Post article, Helene “wiped off the map” the small town of Steinhatchee, a Gulf coastal community in the southern part of Taylor County. #ClimateChange #ClimateRisk #DisasterManagement #helene2024 #USA https://lnkd.in/dT3kCu_v

This may be the wrong headline. Otis went from Tropical Storm to Category 5 hurricane in a matter of hours leaving little chance to prepare and mitigate. As these events multiply and become increasingly costly, it is time for corporations to embed climate change and environmental challenges into operational and strategic planning. Something we don't see enough of. #climatechange #sustainability #corporatestrategy #esg #corporaterisks #businessstrategy #climateadaptation #climatemitigation #risks GEOSTREAMS https://lnkd.in/eKutnuN6

As we grapple with the tragedy of Hurricane Helene and help the victims to survive, recover, and rebuild, it's critical to put the storm in context. #Climatechange looms large as a driver of the storm's size and destructive power. And the fact that the most acute losses have occurred far inland in southern Appalachia underscores that pluvial #flooding from convective storms and hurricanes is an underappreciated #climaterisk and #extremeweather hazard. The Atlantic's piece on the subject lays out the story well. It's increasingly typical that neither the wind nor even the coastal flooding is the most deadly and damaging, but the flooding resulting from unprecedented precipitation levels. And yet few Americans have #floodinsurance, particularly outside of coastal flood plains. This means a large and growing fraction of financial and economic losses will be uninsured and unrecoverable. This #protectiongap will cause economic distress and exacerbate social stratification and #climatecrisis if left unaddressed. #riskmanagement #insurance #climatesmartinvestment #resilience #adaptation #risktransfersolutions

Between Hurricane Helene and Milton, I think as a nation we must come to a reckoning about the changing oceans and our future with climate change. Thank you Sienna Leis for sending me this article. I wanted to share it because it’s the “realist” I’ve seen someone talk about hurricanes and climate change and it really made me think. We’re not doing enough. We need to move faster to implement new technology that can protect and mitigate the damage to property and human life. Coastal Protection Solutions invention, The Wavebreaker will be a much needed addition going forward to prevent destruction from major storms. The Wavebreaker acts as a wave “speedbump” to dampen waves, prevent erosion, and protect property all while producing clean wave energy to supplement the grid and provide emergency power to rebuild in the aftermath of the storm. If you care about the survival of humanity, I welcome other inventors, engineers, designers, and scientists to join me in starting a brain trust to protect humanity in the coming decades. Coming together we can progress faster. Please message me about this Coalition For Resilience. I’m sending strength to the people that will be affected by Milton’s path. Godspeed. #climate #climatechange #hurricanes #milton #helene #resilience #climateresilience

How does a warming climate impact the Atlantic hurricane season? American Red Cross communications manager Dan Dowling spent some time with Climate Central, Inc. climate scientist Dr. Daniel Gilford to talk about how climate plays a role in the upcoming Atlantic hurricane season. As the Atlantic hurricane season begins this month, the Red Cross advises everyone to get ready now for what forecasters warn could be an extremely active hurricane season. "With warmer sea surface temperatures, we are getting more intense storms that are building faster," said Dr. Daniel Gilford, climate scientist, Climate Central. "Also, as the temperature of the atmosphere warms, the tropics expand. That means hurricanes can move further north and regions, like the New England coast, that wouldn't have gotten very many historic hurricanes, are seeing a small uptick in the numbers of storms that reach the region. We expect this trend to continue over time with the climate crisis." With the increasing risk of climate-driven disasters, help keep your family safe by getting prepared today. Build an emergency kit with bottled water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and battery-powered radio. Also include medications, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers and emergency contact information. Make an evacuation plan with what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and if you must evacuate. Make sure to coordinate with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans — and don’t forget your pets. Know how to stay informed by finding out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders. Have a safe summer, and be ready if severe weather strikes!

Houston’s new drainage projects managed to handle much of the rain from Hurricane #Beryl, but the city is unprepared for the heavier rains and larger storms to come, writes Jim Blackburn. “The rains that we need to plan for are simply getting heavier. The goalposts keep moving. That is the reality of climate change: The past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future.” Blackburn’s op-ed in the Houston Chronicle offers a way forward, encouraging innovative collaborations between the public and private sectors to address the challenges of a changing climate. https://bit.ly/3S3nlBP

As the toll of Hurricane Beryl's destruction mounts, Palladium’s Florian Kemmerich is thinking not only of his friends and family in Mexico, but about the millions of others whose lives will be upended this week – and in the years to come. “Witnessing how climate related disasters affect the livelihoods of millions globally,” he says, “we need to urgently innovate on the protection and resilience of these at-risk communities.” According to Florian, nature itself can help. Coastal ecosystems can protect critical infrastructure from natural disasters like Beryl, and the key is in restoring, investing in, and integrating our communities with these ecosystems. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4vyPSJT #HurricanBeryl | #NaturalDisaster | #ClimateChange | #ClimateCrisis | #Adaptation | #CoastalCommunities | #Ecosystems | #Nature | #NatureBasedSolutions | #CoastalResilience | #Livelihoods | #Infrastructure | #ResilientInfrastructure | #ImpactAtScale

🌪️ Reflecting on Hurricane/Tropical Storm Debby 🌿 As we witness the increasing intensity of hurricanes and tropical storms, I’m reminded of an infographic I created during my time at the University of St Andrews, highlighting the crucial role of mangroves in mitigating storm impacts. 🌍 Did you know? Mangroves prevent over $65 billion USD in damages annually, protecting more than 15 million people worldwide from storms, flooding, and erosion. Their intricate root systems and unique adaptations allow them to thrive in harsh coastal environments, offering invaluable disaster prevention, carbon storage, and ecosystem support. 🛡️ Key Insights: Wave Reduction: Mangroves can decrease wave heights by 50-90%, significantly reducing storm surge impacts. Carbon Storage: They store up to five times more carbon than tropical upland forests, helping combat climate change. Protection in Florida: Mangroves reduced hurricane damage from Irma by 25%, showcasing their vital role in safeguarding coastal communities. 🌱 However, mangroves are not immune to the effects of climate change and human activity. We've lost 35% of global mangroves over the past two decades, primarily due to deforestation and intensified storms. 🌟 Let’s Act: It’s essential to protect and rehabilitate mangrove forests. By integrating them into coastal city planning and supporting hydrological and topographical rehabilitation, we can enhance their resilience and continue benefiting from their ecosystem services. For a more sustainable future, let’s prioritize preserving these vital forests and their incredible benefits for both people and the planet. 🌊🌿 Stay Safe! #Mangroves #ClimateChange #DisasterPrevention #Sustainability #EnvironmentalProtection #DataDrivenInsights