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Recent trends in U.S. flood risk
Author(s) -
Slater Louise J.,
Villarini Gabriele
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2016gl071199
Subject(s) - flood myth , flooding (psychology) , environmental science , precipitation , 100 year flood , extreme weather , climate change , agriculture , floodplain , environmental resource management , geography , hydrology (agriculture) , climatology , physical geography , water resource management , ecology , meteorology , geology , cartography , archaeology , psychology , geotechnical engineering , psychotherapist , biology
Flooding is projected to become more frequent as warming temperatures amplify the atmosphere's water holding capacity and increase the occurrence of extreme precipitation events. However, there is still little evidence of regional changes in flood risk across the USA. Here we present a novel approach assessing the trends in inundation frequency above the National Weather Service's four flood level categories in 2042 catchments. Results reveal stark regional patterns of changing flood risk that are broadly consistent above the four flood categories. We show that these patterns are dependent on the overall wetness and potential water storage, with fundamental implications for water resources management, agriculture, insurance, navigation, ecology, and populations living in flood‐affected areas. Our findings may assist in a better communication of changing flood patterns to a wider audience compared with the more traditional approach of stating trends in terms of discharge magnitudes and frequencies.