Opinion

Let's plan

Opinion of, The Tampa Tribune
Published: November 3, 2012

With flood levels rising over 13 feet in parts of New York City, Gov. Andrew Cuomo was understandably questioning whether levees or other storm surge measures were needed in Lower Manhattan. Cuomo said it seems like "we have a 100-year flood every two years now. … The construction of this city did not anticipate these kinds of situations. We are only a few feet above sea level."

Much the same could be said of parts of the Suncoast.

This isn't to say area communities should begin a mad dash to rebuild waterfronts, an impossible task. But flood-prevention planning should become a priority when undertaking new projects.

Planning for high water can be costly, but consider the costs of ignoring the possibilities. It's estimated that Hurricane Sandy will cause more than $20 billion in damage. Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans cost $100 billion.

For all of Sandy's fury, things could have been far worse. Federal, state and local officials did an impressive job of preparing for the storm, evacuating vulnerable regions and closing subways and bridges.

Climate change advocates claim this crazy storm was the result of rising temperatures in the ocean, and more such severe weather is inevitable. They point to the increasing frequency of droughts, floods and wildfires, as well as rising sea levels.

Scientific evidence indicates warming is occurring and that human emissions are a factor — how big a factor is a subject of great debate. Many business leaders fear rigid regulations would throw the economy into a tailspin while having little or no impact on the climate.

We'd like to see a bipartisan, cool-headed analysis that would give the nation better guidance. But one does not have to be a climate change activist to recognize flooding risks are on the rise and that being prepared is superior to hoping for the best.