Not so high and dry: Climate change adds to flooding risks
When the water rises in Snohomish County, here are some things you should know:
Drive around a traffic barrier onto a road that’s under water, and you face a $426 fine.
The term “100-year flood” may not mean what you think it does.
And climate change is increasing the chance of extreme floods, like those that ravaged parts of Skagit and Whatcom counties and British Columbia in mid-November.
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Meteorologists aren’t fond of the FEMA description. If people hear “100-year-flood,” they often assume a flood of that magnitude will only occur once a century. In fact, it means there is a 1% chance of that occurrence within a given year. Or, as Snohomish County’s Flood Safety Guide explains it: “If your property is in or near a ‘100-year floodplain,’ there is a 26% chance that your home will be flooded sometime during your 30-year mortgage.”
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/not-so-high-and-dry-climate-change-adds-to-flooding-risks/
