Flooding in downtown Annapolis in October 2021. (Photo by Alexandra Radovic/Capital News Service)
I’ve seen firsthand how climate change is transforming Maryland. Not in some distant land, but here at home.
All along the Chesapeake Bay, we’re seeing that when climate changes, everything changes. In Annapolis, where I live, flooding has become routine, even on sunny days. In Ellicott City, more intense storms have ripped up sidewalks and destroyed shops along Main Street. In Baltimore, heavier rainfall strains aging infrastructure, inundates basements and triggers noxious sewage overflows. And on Smith and Tangier islands, where land is naturally sinking, sea level rise and erosion from climate change are increasingly putting entire communities and cultures at risk…