(WXYZ) — Several states across the country are experiencing heat waves, record-breaking temperatures, and flooding due to heavy rain.
Michigan has experienced increased temperatures as well as heavier rainstorms. The ice cover from the Great Lakes is forming later and melting sooner. And this is a sign of what we expect to see more of with climate change. Both public health in urban areas and corn and other harvests in rural areas find themselves in the crosshairs of Michigan’s flood crisis resulting from climate change.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recently examined the damages caused by floods in Detroit. She put the blame on climate change and underfunded infrastructure. This flooding has serious impacts on Michiganders. In addition to the risk of property damage, flooding also frequently impacts the response times of first responders, leaving victims of flooding vulnerable and in danger for longer than typical extreme weather events.
Millions of Americans feel the effects of climate change every year. Last year the U.S. had 22 extreme weather and climate-related disasters ranging from hurricanes, floods, and wildfires that cost Americans nearly 100 billion dollars in damages. President Biden has proposed a bold American Jobs Plan [whitehouse.gov] that invests in rebuilding America and does it in a way that dramatically increases clean energy and cuts climate pollution.
