Once again, major flooding in the Midwest has not only displaced thousands of residents and caused untold economic damage but also killed dozens of people in the surrounding areas. This type of disaster is not new for Midwestern leaders who some claim have failed to learn from the past. Previous federal reports have cited “the need to allow [the rivers] to connect more naturally to their flood plains” as a way to mitigate flooding.
The Meramec in southern St. Louis County, Missouri, is one river that hit record levels. RFF’s Carolyn Kousky and Margaret Walls examined a greenway along the river, finding that preserving the greenway not only led to avoided flood damages but also increased the sales prices of nearby homes. In their related research, along with RFF’s Jessica Chu, they also find that as flooding becomes more extreme due to climate change, preserving the floodplains results in millions of dollars annually in avoided flood damages.
RFF on the Issues connects today’s pressing news with related research and expertise at RFF.
