Protecting Infrastructure Before Failure
Roads, bridges, culverts, power systems, water systems, and public facilities are often designed around historical weather conditions. Climate change can make those assumptions less reliable.
Heavy rainfall and flooding
Maine reports that intense downpours are increasing. Short-duration heavy rain can overwhelm small watersheds and damage roads, culverts, bridges, drinking-water systems, and wastewater infrastructure.
Coastal infrastructure
Sea-level rise raises the baseline on which tides and storm surge act. Even without stronger storm surge, the same storm can produce more flooding when mean sea level is higher.
Designing for useful life
Infrastructure replaced today may still be in service decades from now. Using updated rainfall, flood, heat, and sea-level information can reduce the risk that new projects are undersized for future conditions.