Before, During & After the Flood: Multiple Perspectives on Planning, Response, and Recovery

Floods usually happen suddenly. The sky rips open, the rivers and streams quickly fill, followed by the fields and streets. Before long it can become a life-threatening emergency with people trapped in their homes or cars. However, there is a long ‘before’ and a long ‘after’ when it comes to flooding. The complex way in which water moves and fills up the land is shaped both by geologic processes and the political economy of building housing and infrastructure. Decisions made decades ago affect the landscape of hazard and risk in the present and near future.

There is a long ‘after’ too, as flooded communities take months and years to recover physically, financially, and emotionally. With rain events predicted to be more intense it is imperative to develop networks of collaboration between scientists, planners, community advocates, first responders, and neighbors to better understand and limit risk, more effectively respond during times of crisis, and recover from events in ways that are just and equitable.

Join us for this panel discussion that brings these different perspectives together in hopes of diminishing the impacts of some of our most deadly and costly climate-related hazards.