Brown Center Investigates “What Have We Learned from the March 2010 Floods?”
9:00-10:20am on Thursday, March 24 at 135 Angell Street, Providence, RI
Everyone in Rhode Island remembers the pictures of the Warwick mall in the middle of a lake. The weather forecasters standing in a foot of water on I-95 as the major interstate was closed due to flooding. The helicopter footage of the Warwick and West Warwick wastewater treatments plant completely inundated with river water, and the “do not drink” orders from city officials.
After nearly two months of research and interviews, the Center for Environmental Studies at Brown is rolling out a series of six reports on “The March 2010 Floods: What Have We Learned?”
“The floods revealed many ways we’re vulnerable to weather-related disasters, and opportunities to address some complex problems like how we handle storm water, zoning in floodplains, perverse incentives in insurance and disaster relief, and our emergency preparedness,” said Center Director Timmons Roberts.
“The situation was ripe for chaos, miscommunication, and disaster,” said student, Charlene Kim. “But with some luck, Rhode Island averted the worst. No one died and, in the end, damage was limited to properties and the ecosystem.”
“It’s hard to say if anything has been learned long-term,” reflected Bridgette Black, another student. “I hope so, especially since serious rain events like last March are only going to become more frequent as climate change progresses.”
The Center is inviting the community to a panel discussion and presentation from 9:00-10:20am on Thursday, March 24 at 135 Angell Street on the Brown University campus. They hope to commemorate the work that has been done over the past year and to look a bit into the future.
“The students interviewed a diverse range of distinguished community leaders and experts who all contributed unique insights into the floods’ causes, impacts, and long-term implications,” said Lauren Watka, a graduate student in the Center who supervised the project.
“Most people don’t realize that not every sector of the economy was negatively impacted by the floods,” said Kening Tan, “And Rhode Island, as a whole, has benefited from the federal funding for infrastructure improvements.”
The series of reports are scheduled to be released on the ProJo 7 to 7 blog and on the Center for Environmental Studies website starting Tuesday. One section will be published each day for the next week. They are:
- Tuesday, March 22-- The Upstream Environment: History of development and watershed change in the Pawtuxet
- Wednesday-- Zoning for Disasters? Zoning, Land-use Regulation, and Insurance in the Pawtuxet River Floodplain
- Thursday-- Emergency Management in RI: What does the Flood Tell Us About Our Preparedness?
- Friday-- The March 2010 Floods: Who Suffered Worst?
- Saturday-- Who Were the Winners?
- Sunday-- What Have We Learned?
The panelists on Thursday include:
- Karen Bradbury, who handled flood complaints at U.S. Senator Whitehouse's office;
- Ames Colt from the Bays, Rivers, and Watersheds Coordination Team;
- Jonathan Stone, Executive Director, and Rachel Calabro from Save the Bay; and
- Paul Salera, Director of Family Services and Housing, from West Bay Community Action.
The event is free and open to the public and will take place in Room 106, the Urban
Environmental Laboratory, 135 Angell St., Providence RI. There are parking meters and 2 hour parking around the neighborhood. Coffee, tea and cakes will be served.
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