Amid Persisting Extreme Precipitation Events Utilities Can Take Steps to Strengthen their Flood Resilience

Torrential rains across the Midwest this summer have resulted in severe impacts to water infrastructure highlighting the need for utilities to engage in preparedness activities to mitigate the predicted and continued increase in extreme precipitation events across the U.S. and around the world. Multiple federal agencies have collections of free resources to help utilities with their flood resilience efforts.

As WaterISAC has highlighted in other information it has shared, climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, including strong precipitation that leads to flooding. Underscoring its destructiveness, a recent government report estimated the total cost of flooding in the U.S. is between $180 and $500 billion each year. Indeed, the flooding and storms in recent weeks cost the state of Iowa over $130 million in infrastructure damage.

The EPA’s collection specifically targets water utilities looking to boost their flood resilience and includes a “Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities,” which is an important guide to help utilities understand their flooding risk and identify practical mitigation options to protect your critical assets. The “Flood Resilience Checklist” helps users develop a comprehensive flood resilience plan. In addition, FEMA’s ready.gov site offers users resources, tips, and best practices for managing flood risk.

CISA’s collection focuses on torrential flooding more broadly, offering flood-related guidance and maps, as well as a comprehensive Sources for Resilient Solutions resource that collects guidance for small and medium-sized utilities across many types of risk. Members are encouraged to review these resources to determine if they can help enhance any existing flood resilience efforts at their organization. Read more at Climate Central or at EPA.