As Hurricane Ian rapidly intensifies and barrels toward Florida and the American southeast, public officials are warning that much like Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico, the storm will cause severe flooding. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, D-Fla., warned of "unprecedented flooding" with "18-20 inches of rainwater" while Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., informed residents in many southern counties that the storm "is going to have major, major impacts in terms of wind, in terms of rain, in terms of flooding." The state's most populous city, Jacksonville, is already reporting flooding and power outages, while the flooding is reportedly severe in the Florida Keys.
The scientists who spoke to Salon about the tropical storm agreed that there is going to be a lot more flooding as Hurricane Ian continues to make landfall. Indeed, as climate change continues to worsen, more and more regions of the country will experience flooding — and the many public health crises that accompany it.
