William Croft, Assistant Director of the Louisiana State Office of Emergency Preparedness said that total damages in Louisiana alone would probably amount to several billion dollars. The agency attributes this to several causes. More people are living and working in flood-prone areas and are often unaware of the associated risks. Increasingly heavy rains may be contributing to the growing flood damage. One recent study found a steady increase during this century in the proportion of the US which received a much greater than normal portion of annual rainfall in very heavy one-day episodes.
Floods are already very costly and a growing concern.
Future climate change may further increase those risks in some areas. The IPCC recommended that people plan for a wider range of climatic conditions than those prevailing in the past. Beyond that, the panel sets forth five specific flood management strategies, all sensible responses even in the absence of rapid climate change. Unfortunately, the US and other countries tend not to pursue rigorously and consistently such strategies, particularly when there seems to be no immediate threat of floods. But during the last several years, the threat for some Americans has been immediate, and awareness of flood risks has increased.