This week, the United States is remembering the devastating effects that Superstorm Sandy had on the eastern seaboard three years ago. It’s important to remember the lives lost as a result of the storm, learn from the aftermath of the destruction, and recognize the implications that an increase in extreme weather due to climate change will have for a coastal city like Boston.
The City is acutely aware that if the timing of the storm had been only a few hours difference, Sandy would have hit Boston at high tide and we would have experienced flooding as estimated by the map below.
In the years since the storm, City response has been swift. Below are just highlights of some of the actions we have taken:
2013:
Mayor Menino Announces Boston’s Climate Action Progress on the One Year Anniversary of Hurricane Sandy
Kickoff of Climate Action Plan updates (update: Climate Action Plan released in 2014)
Climate Ready Boston report
Climate Ready Boston update, October 2013
2014:
Coordinating with state for emergency funding
National Preparedness Month coordination between Greenovate Boston, Ready Boston, and the Boston Public Health Commission
2015:
Boston Living with Water – international design competition to imagine innovative proactive responses to changes in coastal conditions
Hired Chief Resiliency officer – Dr. Atyia Martin
Hired Climate Preparedness Fellow, Mia Goldwasser to coordinate Phase 2 of Climate Ready Boston
Mayor Walsh Recognized National Preparedness Month With Cook-Off Challenge
Ready Boston, the initiative coordinated by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM), offers detailed information for how to be prepared for all hazards, including hurricanes, flooding, and evacuation. OEM also manages Alert Boston, the system designed to keep you connected. Be sure to sign-up and stay informed in case of an emergency.
Greenovate is committed to educating the people of Boston about climate change, sustainability, and all the benefits of green living. We still have hope we can mitigate the worst effects of climate change (browse all of our actions!), but we recognize that preparing is an essential part of a realistic approach. We’re hard at work to make progress on the actions and strategies outlined in the Preparedness section of our recent Climate Action Plan.Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more news from Climate Ready Boston about what we’re doing to prepare and create resiliency in the City of Boston.
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