Word: floods
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Months before flood season begins in western Washington, government officials have already declared a state of emergency and, even as they worry about the viability of a pivotal dam, have encouraged residents to buy flood insurance immediately...
When the Howard Hanson Dam was first built on the Green River in western Washington in 1962, the concrete behemoth was hailed as the new protector of the valley below. Until that point, the Green River Valley was regularly inundated during the flood season, which runs from late October through March. "We had an almost annual flood," recalls Governor Christine Gregoire, who grew up in the valley. "Only when I was in high school and they built the Howard Hanson Dam did we see an end to the flooding." Now, should the water rise to dangerous levels, engineers will...
...addition to another $16 million from the Army Corps of Engineers devoted specifically to bolstering levees down the river. While Washington's congressional delegates fight for the money in the nation's capital, preparations and public-awareness campaigns are already under way - including driving home the importance of purchasing flood insurance, and buying it right away...
...Last weekend's flood was in large part the result of the capital's poor drainage and sanitation systems, which have been neglected by several successive administrations in power. As Ketsana rained down upon Manila, sewers that were clogged up by plastic bags and other refuse led to roads becoming rivers and gardens lagoons. Video images of desperate people riding floating pontoons of garbage down inundated streets were a sign not just of the consequences of the flood, but also its causes. Many impoverished Manila residents live in makeshift settlements by rivers and creeks - the source of their drinking water...
...fights back." Until the 1960s Dhaka had many lakes and waterways that stored and drained floodwater, but - as in Bangkok and Jakarta - these were filled in and built over as the population exploded. Protect the surviving waterways and re-excavate historic ones, says Habib, and Dhaka will flood less...