STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
We're just over halfway through July, and just this month, multiple states have faced severe floods. They've hit New Mexico, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey. And of course, this month's worst flood was in Texas, where a sudden storm killed at least 130 people. Michael Copley of NPR's climate desk is following this. Michael, good morning.
MICHAEL COPLEY, BYLINE: Hey. Good morning, Steve.
INSKEEP: Is this shaping up to be an unusually bad month?
COPLEY: I think what we can say is the storms that are contributing to these kinds of floods are becoming more common, and that's because a hotter atmosphere holds more moisture, right? And as people burn fossil fuels like coal and oil, it's releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that's raising global temperatures, and that warming increases the risk of storms that can drop more water in shorter periods of time.
INSKEEP: OK. So this is just happening. Whether we deny it or not, it's just happening. It's a thing to prepare for. But the images that I saw this week of massive flooding in the New York subway suggest to me that maybe we're not prepared.
COPLEY: No. We're not prepared. I mean, communities need to overhaul stormwater management systems to handle more water in these storms. After the Texas flood, there's been a lot of talk about making sure communities have warning systems so they know when floodwaters are coming. Cities like New York City have been investing billions to make their transit systems more resilient - subways, tunnels, bridges. But keeping dangerous amounts of water out of underground rail systems is a constant battle.
INSKEEP: Yeah.
COPLEY: So communities have a lot to do, and there's a really big price tag. But Gernot Wagner says there's an upside to taking action. Wagner is a climate economist at Columbia Business School.
GERNOT WAGNER: The flip side of cost is investment. The flip side of cost is opportunity, is jobs. We need to get around to actually putting money to work.
COPLEY: And he says communities need to move fast because the problem's only getting worse.
INSKEEP: Well, in the meantime, how can people stay safe?
COPLEY: The big thing is to make sure they're getting emergency alerts. A lot of people get those on their cellphones. They're also broadcast over TV and radio. When flash flood warnings are issued, take them seriously. Get off the road. Don't drive through flooded areas. And then check the risk at your home. FEMA has a tool. That's the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But also, it's worth checking with, like, First Street. It's a group that assesses climate risk. And what we're seeing is that with risks around flash flooding in particular, their maps can be more comprehensive.
INSKEEP: Oh, you want to find out if you're in a flood zone or not in a flood zone. And I guess you also want to make sure you're properly insured for whatever happens.
COPLEY: Insurance is crucial, but the issue is that flood insurance isn't covered by most homeowners insurance. So people need separate flood coverage, either from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private company. Now, there's still two big issues out there. One is cost, especially in flood-prone areas. It's getting expensive, and it's a deal-breaker, especially for people on tight budgets. The other issue we're seeing is that a lot of people don't think they need flood insurance if they're not in a flood zone, so people end up rolling the dice. They hope there's no flood. That's according to Brian O'Connell, an analyst at InsuranceQuotes.
BRIAN O'CONNELL: And when it does happen - and we talk to people who it happens to - it's one of the worst things, you know, people ever experience in their lives.
COPLEY: You know, that's because without flood insurance, homeowners often have to deal with the cost of picking up from these disasters on their own, and those costs in and of themselves can be disastrous for people.
INSKEEP: Yeah. You could end up losing everything, and your house is not livable. You have to start over almost entirely.
COPLEY: No. That's right. I mean, we hear about foreclosures often follow these kinds of events when there's not insurance.
INSKEEP: NPR's Michael Copley, thanks so much.
COPLEY: Thank you, Steve. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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