eta - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-28T20:12:05Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/etaLocal Voices: Can a president control flooding by executive order?https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/local-voices-can-a-president-control-flooding-by-executive-order2020-12-02T17:59:22.000Z2020-12-02T17:59:22.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>After Eta’s deluges, Floridians looking for all the help they can get</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8241427257,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8241427257,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8241427257?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a>ABOVE:</strong> North Atlantic Drive looked more like a lake than a road on Hypoluxo Island after Tropical Storm Eta blew through Nov. 8-9. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /><strong>BELOW:</strong> Boca Raton resident Natalie Conte walks her dogs Nico and Rocky next to a flooded sidewalk in Highland Beach on Nov. 9. <strong>Tim Stepien/ The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8241429293,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8241429293,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8241429293?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>By John Englander</strong> <br />Rising Seas Institute</p>
<p>Following the U.S. presidential election, many pundits speculate that Joe Biden will use executive orders to deal with many issues that do not require Congressional legislation. <br />That would follow the precedent of both Presidents Donald Trump and Barack Obama. It raises an interesting question as to whether executive orders can affect flooding. Of <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8241431078,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8241431078,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="99" alt="8241431078?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>course, flooding fundamentally comes from forces of nature, which residents of South Florida learned once again last month. <br />Tropical Storm Eta dumped up to 14 inches of rain in western Broward County, a dousing that might have amounted to a once-in-100-years event, Robert Molleda, a Weather Service meteorologist, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.<br />As the planet warms, scientists predict that we will have to cope with more tropical storms and that they’ll contain more water. Eta delivered that lesson. Florida has been called “ground zero” in the United States for climate damage, and 2020 has delivered the flooding to warrant that designation.<br />In recent decades it has become clear that rising seas are contributing to the increased flooding as the warming planet melts polar ice caps. In fact, there are two approaches for a president to try to reduce flooding: mitigation and adaptation.<br />Mitigation in this context refers to slowing the warming, by policies that might reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, one of the principal greenhouse gases. Executive orders could well focus on that issue, perhaps regarding vehicle emissions standards, rule-making with the Environmental Protection Agency, encouragement of renewable energy, and other policies. Taken together, over decades, such policies can flatten the curve of rising CO2 emissions and eventually slow the warming. Over decades such policies can begin to reduce the problem of rising waters that cause worse flooding.<br />The second approach is adaptation. To reduce flooding we can raise buildings and infrastructure in Florida and other coastal areas. In the United States, building codes — the regulations — are typically set at the state and county levels. <br />The president does not set them. But he can issue an executive order with regard to all federal buildings and infrastructure. In fact, Obama did just that. The order directed that all federal new construction and major renovations would allow for an additional two feet of higher sea level, or three feet for structures that were deemed critical. Also, the order used the 500-year flood plain as a reference point, far more conservative than the usual 100-year flood plain guideline.<br />Such an executive order to raise the design criteria for buildings and infrastructure has several virtues.<br />With the vast property of the federal government, raising elevations in flood zones can reduce the flooding potential, damages and recovery expenses, and result in fewer lives lost.<br />Perhaps as important, such a leadership policy sets an example for all the states, municipalities and private companies to emulate.<br />Just the idea of following “best practices” would help professions such as architecture, engineering and planning.<br />Presidential executive orders to raise the design criteria for federal buildings and infrastructure are perhaps the simplest way to reduce flooding, with the potential for the orders to make an impact for decades and centuries. <br />However, a weakness to executive orders is that another administration can reverse them: Obama’s 2015 Executive Order 13690 was rescinded by Trump’s Executive Order 13807 just two years later.<br />I think it’s reasonable to expect many executive orders under the new administration.</p>
<p><br /><em>John Englander is an oceanographer and author of “High Tide On Main Street.” He is also president of the Rising Seas Institute, a nonprofit think tank and policy center.</em></p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8241430494,RESIZE_192X{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8241430494,RESIZE_192X{{/staticFileLink}}" width="192" alt="8241430494?profile=RESIZE_192X" /></a>Started in May 2018 by the editorial boards of the <em>South Florida Sun Sentinel</em>, <em>Miami Herald</em> and <em>The Palm Beach Post</em>, with assistance from WLRN Public Media, the project now encompasses 25 Florida newspapers, including <em>The Coastal Star</em>.</p></div>Along the Coast: Eta blows through with little local damagehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-eta-blows-through-with-little-damage2020-11-09T17:43:57.000Z2020-11-09T17:43:57.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8140970884,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8140970884,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8140970884?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a> <em>Boca Raton residents Amanda Clark (l), 20, and her mother Kate Clark are battered by the winds and rain of Tropical Storm Eta as they observe the power of the storm from the pavilion of South Beach Park in Boca Raton Nov. 8. The intense wind and horizontal rain made it necessary for most observers to hide behind the support poles for protection. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8140976676,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8140976676,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8140976676?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Strong winds and heavy rain from Tropical Storm Eta caused beach erosion and damage to the the beach access mat at South Beach Park in Boca Raton. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141031882,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141031882,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141031882?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Boca Raton resident Natalie Conte walks her two dogs Nico and Rocky along the flooded sidewalk in Highland Beach Nov. 9. Heavy rain and strong winds from Tropical Storm Eta caused localized flooding, downed trees and power outages throughout South Florida. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141044254,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141044254,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141044254?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Drivers on State Road A1A in Highland Beach Nov. 9 navigated their way through flooded roads to get to their destination. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8140998660,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8140998660,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8140998660?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Delray Beach resident and fisherman Peter Moccia appears to be missing the lower part of his body due to the significant beach erosion caused by Tropical Storm Eta. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141015859,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141015859,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141015859?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>A member of Delray Beach Fire Rescue navigates his ATV up and over the beach erosion caused by Tropical Storm Eta. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141052262,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141052262,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141052262?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Billy Blackman, owner of Able Tree Service, secures broken sea grape and coconut palm branches on Old Ocean Boulevard in Ocean Ridge as Tropical Storm Eta left its impact on Coastal Star communities. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141054683,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141054683,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141054683?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">A family takes a group selfie on the north Jetty of the Boynton Inlet Nov. 8 as Tropical Storm Eta unleashed strong winds and torrential rains on South Florida. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141144079,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141144079,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141144079?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Contractors are staged to restore power along State Road A1A in Manalapan Nov 9. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141063078,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141063078,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141063078?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">A man removes pylons from the flooded roadway along North Atlantic Drive in the Hypoluxo Island portion of Lantana on Nov. 9. Heavy rains flooded the road and yards. While the road was passable, the water was at least 8 inches deep in places. Lantana Mayor Dave Stewart, who lives in the neighborhood, says this is nothing new. </span></em></span>“When you have the king tides, there’s always flooding in certain areas of Hypoluxo Island,” he says. “It’s been that way since I moved here in 1977. You can’t control Mother Nature.” <span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;"><strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141064479,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141064479,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141064479?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span> <span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">A man walking his dog gets along Beach Curve Road on the Hypoluxo Island portion of Lantana gets caught in one on the many squalls associated with Tropical Storm Eta. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8141066278,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8141066278,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8141066278?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#000000;">Marybeth Hegarty grabs hold of her hat as she walks down toward the beach to check on the impact of Tropical Storm Eta Nov. 8. "Our beach is gone," she exclaimed a moment later as she got near the surf. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></span></em></span></p>
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<p><em>Mary Thurwachter contributed to this report<br /> </em></p>
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