In July 2023, Vermont towns endured cataclysmic flooding after heavy rains, underscoring the need for climate change adaptation. Photo: Vince Franke.
This fall, news broke that, as of September 11, there had been 23 confirmed weather/climate disaster events around the country this year, with total losses exceeding $1 billion.
We’ve watched hurricanes, wildfires, fierce storms, and floods unfold. In recent months, torrential rains inundated streets in Montpelier, Vermont, flooding homes and businesses. Almost 10 inches of rain fell in five hours in Leominster, Massachusetts, leading to evacuations and fear of a dam break. In Hawaii, a wildfire fueled by raging winds erased an entire town. And in California, a desert town was caked in mud following a rare hurricane.
The climate crisis is here. That means we must not only focus on how to prevent future climate impacts but also on how to…