Ann Arbor Times

As severe storms impact the South and Midwest of the United States, the National Weather Service has forecasted "life-threatening, catastrophic and potentially historic" floods for the region. Experts from the University of Michigan have made themselves available to discuss the ongoing weather conditions, including public health risks and the influence of climate change.

Jonathan Overpeck, dean of the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan, emphasized the significance of the climatic conditions, citing the increasing capacity of the atmosphere to hold moisture as a contributing factor to intensified rainfall. "Given worsening climate change, it’s always wise to take warnings of excessive rainfall and potential flooding seriously," Overpeck stated.

In Detroit, Tony Reames, an associate professor, highlighted the city's infrastructural vulnerabilities. "Extreme flooding can lead to rivers bursting their banks, overstressing outdated infrastructure," he noted, stressing the impact on low-income and minoritized communities. Reames emphasized the need for "resilient infrastructure and proactive community engagement."

Julie Arbit from the Center for Social Solutions discussed the challenges faced in delivering localized forecasts. She identified "warning fatigue" as a problem when large geographic warnings do not correspond to localized weather events, potentially decreasing public responsiveness to alerts.

Global warming's impact on precipitation patterns and Detroit's drainage issues were topics addressed by Mohammed Ombadi, an assistant professor at the College of Engineering. He spoke about the challenges posed by an outdated infrastructure and called for adaptive urban planning.

With increased storm frequency, Andrew Hoffman from the Ross School of Business pointed out the growing challenge for insurers facing claims from "second perils” like floods and hailstorms. "Home insurance is increasing rapidly around the country in response to extreme weather payouts," he said.

Several experts noted the potential health impacts of flooding. Carina Gronlund highlighted possible health risks, "including drowning, electrocution and infections from contact with the flood waters," and the longer-term mental health effects from dealing with the aftermath.

In conclusion, as the Midwest grapples with severe weather conditions, the University of Michigan continues to provide expert insight into the multitude of challenges posed by these anticipated floods.