Which Whatcom properties are most at risk of flooding? Check out these interactive charts
Whatcom is a county cleaved in half by the Nooksack River, and with the river comes the inevitability of flooding.
Much of the human development in Whatcom is at risk of flooding, most recently demonstrated by devastating floods in November and December that left communities in shambles and displaced families, many of whom are still on the long path to recovery.
“We’ve come to recognize more so that we have a lot of development in areas that are extremely vulnerable with these types of floods,” said Chris Elder, Whatcom’s senior planner in watershed management, to The Bellingham Herald in November.
The Herald analyzed more than 100,000 rows of data provided by ATTOM Data Solutions, a California-based provider of nationwide property data, to give readers a better idea of which areas are most at risk of being impacted by the floods to come.
Let’s take an even closer look at the breakdown of flood-prone properties in Whatcom towns and cities. In a number of the areas most impacted by the 2021 floods, such as Nooksack and Sumas, a majority of properties have flood risk ratings that range from significant to extreme.
The data shows that properties in coastal areas tend to have higher flood risk as well.
Scientists expect worsening climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, to bring more frequent, severe flooding to the region. A warming world is a more flood-prone one, due to “sea level rise, storm surges, heavier prolonged precipitation, and rapid spring snowmelt,” according to the state Department of Ecology.
The data provided by ATTOM Data Solutions shows that the average annual number of extreme precipitation events in Whatcom is projected to increase in the coming decades.
More storms are predicted to bring more rain.
This story was originally published May 22, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
