Flooding
Floating Houses for Flood-Prone Areas
As the city of New Orleans rebuilds its flooded and destroyed neighborhoods, a new design from architect Thom Mayne seeks to counteract the flood-prone area by simply floating.
NPR
Proposed Port Threatens Flood-Prone Venice
Plans to construct a new cargo port near Venice has some conservationists up in arms. They say the plans would exacerbate rising water levels and further endanger the flood-prone ancient city.
The Guardian
A Biological Approach to City Building
Architecture and biomimicry are joining forces. A new city being planned in a flood-prone region of India is using the concept of mimicking nature to build a city that better responds to its environmental conditions.
Harvard Magazine
Prepare Now for Altered Coastlines
A disturbing new report on sea-level rise projections for California warns that the state must start planning now for the anticipated flooding of its coastline, which could wipe out over $100 billion worth of built infrastructure.
AlterNet
Dutch Try to Step Up Flood Protection
This article from Wired looks at new plans to prevent massive flooding in the low-lying Netherlands.
Wired
FEMA Redraws Flood Maps
FEMA has redone official maps of flood-prone areas across the country, designating some as flood zones for the first time.
USA Today
How Development Makes Flooding Worse
This article from The Christian Science Monitor looks at how development, farm practices, and population growth have increased the risk of flooding.
The Christian Science Monitor
Levees in Danger as Midwest Flooding Continues
Flood waters along the Mississippi River continue to rise, leaving many Midwest towns deep under water. The Army Corps of Engineers has just identified 27 levees that may not be high enough to handle the rising waters.
USA Today
FEMA Sat On $85 Million in Katrina Relief
Housing groups in Katrina-affected regions are expressing their outrage after a CNN investigation uncovered that tons of supplies intended for hurricane victims sat in storage for two years before being given away to cities and other organizations.
CNN
Support Wanes for Turkey's Controversial Dam
A massive dam project in Turkey that would flood historic areas and displace 50,000 people is losing international support, as officials in Germany threaten to pull out of the project -- often called a smaller version of China's Three Gorges Dam.
Der Spiegel
Building in the Danger Zone
This article from Next American City looks at the new land use ideas that are guiding development in disaster-prone areas.
The Next American City
What Will Happen After the Flood
This article from Architect Magazine wonders what coastal cities will look like after the sea level rises.
Architect Magazine
Venice Plans For Sea Level Rise
Operation "Rialto" will lift some Venice buildings up to 3.3 feet in an effort to avoid the negative implications of sea level rise.
Terra Daily
Can the Corps Do Enough for New Orleans?
The vast levee system under construction by the Army Corps of Engineers may not be sufficient to protect New Orleans as the climate continues to change.
Grist
Floodplain Development Plugs On in Missouri
Flooding in the Mississippi River floodplain in Missouri caused federal officials to call for the removal of buildings and homes in the threatened area in 1993. But now, development is being allowed in the same flood-prone areas.
Grist




















