Target: Deanne Criswell, Administrator of Federal Emergency Management Agency
Goal: Advocate for and help develop an extensive tracking system to assess critical flood risks nationwide.
Coffins in New Orleans and other flood-prone areas are literally being ripped from their final resting places and floating down streets or even tumbling off of cliffs. In Ecuador, hundreds of people were evacuated after twelve hours of relentless rain. And in traditionally dry states from Nevada to Vermont, floodwaters have endangered entire communities and sometimes taken lives. Floods are a rising consequence of the climate crisis, and America is ill-equipped to prepare.
Federal flood maps are supposed to provide key assessments on areas at risk from flooding so that solid plans of action can be created. Yet because of feared political blowback, these maps are badly outdated. In the past few years, an estimated half of the major damage caused by flooding took place in areas not considered high-risk. And the ferocity of floods in states like Kentucky has left entire communities decimated because they lacked the information and resources to adequately defend themselves. A consistently updated and detailed national precipitation database could be one of the most vital tools for combating the threat of flooding.
Sign the petition below to support this life-saving measure.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Administrator Criswell,
Extreme flooding in the United States is increasingly taking away the living and disturbing the resting places of the dead. And the regions in danger from these once-irregular but now normalized weather events is expanding by the year. Unfortunately, current federal flood maps do not reflect this reality.
Fears of pushback from developers and special interests should not prevent leaders from taking the necessary action to save lives and communities. Please push for a national precipitation database and mapping system that gives all Americans the insight they need to prepare for the worst.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Commander Mark Moran
Traditionally dry states from Nevada to Vermont, floodwaters have endangered entire communities and sometimes taken lives. Floods are a rising consequence of the climate crisis, and America is ill-equipped to prepare. Fears of pushback from developers and special interests should not prevent leaders from taking the necessary action to save lives and communities. Please push for a national precipitation database and mapping system that gives all Americans the insight they need to prepare for the worst. Now it’s in your hands. Flooding is a major problem. You can help and we must all help. America matters!