Harpers Ferry National Historical Park63-এর মধ্যে 29 নম্বর পাতা
More Rain, Faster: How Flooding and Landslides Threaten National Capital Area Parks
Warmer air holds more water, and that can make storms in historically wet places like the Washington, D.C. area more severe. A National Park Service article on flooding and climate change in the National Capital Area explains the chain, and what it means for three parks.
Why storms get stronger
Climate change has had a profound effect on weather, the article says. Part of the cause is more water vapor in the air, from two sources:
- Higher humidity. Rising temperatures let the air hold more water as gas, as the difference between winter and summer air shows.
- Increased evaporation. Warmer temperatures speed evaporation in the water cycle.
More vapor, heat and solar energy make storms more severe, whether summer rain or winter blizzard.
The risk is not rainfall alone. The area is surrounded by major waterways, including the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, so riverine flooding is a huge risk. When more rain falls over shorter periods, stormwater cannot drain off the surface or soak into the ground fast enough. More floods mean more polluted runoff and more soil erosion, which strips soils of nutrients, and oversaturated soils lead to landslides.
Three parks
| Park | What the article says |
|---|---|
| Harpers Ferry National Historical Park | Where the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers meet, it has been susceptible to floods for the last 200 years, and stronger storms add to the risk. Floods destroy and erode ecosystems, damage infrastructure and archeological sites, and move pollution around. In 2018, more than 15 inches of rain over two days oversaturated the soil and set off a landslide on the hill above Harpers Ferry Road, damaging the park and closing parts of it. |
| Theodore Roosevelt Island | A "living memorial" to the 26th president. Its innermost memorial structures sit high enough to stay above predicted sea level rise, but more flooding will limit access and recreation. Bridges, walkways and parking lots will have to be rebuilt to keep it reachable. |
| Antietam National Battlefield | Heavier rain in short periods will increase flooding and erosion along Antietam Creek and flood fields with compacted soil. Mature trees will suffer structural damage, and seedlings and saplings will get more hot sun once canopy is lost, which may limit forest regeneration. |
What can be done
The article says changes are happening now but there is still time to act, so future generations can enjoy the same park experiences. The Park Service is taking steps to prepare for and reduce the harmful effects of climate change, and visitors can take steps too.
Sources
- National Park Service, "Flooding and Climate Change," Your Parks Have Climate Stories, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/flooding-climateimpact.htm; rewritten in hubnx's own words. The original page's graphics and illustrations, credited to a partner group, and its photograph of a statue are not reproduced here.