There are both revelations and reminders coming from the recent, heavy rainstorms in the region — that the effects of a warming climate mean an increase in these kinds of extreme weather events, and the most marginalized communities bear the brunt of the consequences that come from this damage to the environment.
“Flood hazards are not equal across urban areas … factors such as age, income, poverty, or access to healthcare affect the capacity of people and communities to anticipate, adapt and recover from hazards such as flooding,” according to The Environmental Justice of Urban Flood Risk and Green Infrastructure Solutions project . “Environmental injustice of flooding occurs when the distribution of flood hazards disproportionately affects socially vulnerable communities. … For example, impervious surfaces in urban areas tend to be more abundant in vulnerable communities, while green spaces are more scarce than in advantaged neighborhoods. Systematic or historical forms of exclusion or injustice such as the practice of redlining play an important role here as well and have been linked to an unequal distribution of green spaces and heat.”