The Biden administration launched a new website this week to help communities monitor climate threats like extreme heat and flooding.
The website, run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has a live dashboard that pinpoints where climate hazards exist. In real time, users can monitor several weather conditions, including extreme heat, and flooding.
“Americans are feeling the intensifying impacts of the climate crisis,” the White House wrote in a statement. “From extreme heat across the country, including the dangerous “heat dome” gripping California this week; record-breaking floods across the South and Midwest; Western drought straining the water supplies that millions depend on; and more wildfires threatening communities. Last year, the 20 largest climate-related disasters alone took hundreds of lives, caused untold hardships, and racked up more than $150 billion in damages.”
NOAA administrator Dr. Rick Spinrad called it a useful resource to learn what’s going on in your area and other regions – especially in places like Florida during hurricane season.
“In Florida, I think everybody who lives there near the coast knows that sea level rise is continuing to have impact as, evidenced by the increase in number of high tide flooding events,” Spinrad told Spectrum News.
Users can click on “extreme heat,” “drought,” “wildfire,” “inland flooding,” or “coastal flooding” to view the different maps.
In addition to the live dashboard, there are also maps showing where climate change will be felt in the future – detailing, for example, how the rise in sea levels will threaten specific coastal areas.
Spinrad says this can help local governments make better planning decisions.
“For example, Miami, with the projections that we’ve got on this portal, is going to see around 70 days of high tide flooding by 2050,” Spinrad said. “So what do you do about that? Where do you make decisions about building How do you make decisions about city infrastructure for pumping out the kind of water we’ll see with storm surge and with high tide flooding?”
The website also provides links to federal resources and funding opportunities for community projects that promote climate resiliency.
