High Water, High Risks: How Flooding Can Impact Our Health

Contributors: Nobi Kennedy, Kelly Morton, Bamidele Osamika, Leah Ross, Mitch Singstock, and Savannah Sullivan

This piece is part of Green Umbrella’s 2024 PSA Campaign on climate health impacts, highlighting a recent report done with Scioto Analysis which was supported in part by a bi3, HealthPath, and Interact for Health Data for Equity Grant.

As the impacts of human activities on our planet continue to compound, extreme weather events with potentially catastrophic outcomes will occur with more frequency and intensity. Flooding is the United States’ most frequent and expensive natural disaster, responsible for more than $850 billion in damage since 2000 and two thirds of the cost from all natural disasters.

Our Tri-State region – seated in the Ohio River Basin, along the Ohio River Valley, with many rivers running through it – is naturally susceptible to flooding, which makes the issue an increasingly severe threat to our communities. Major floods stress communities through home damage, food and housing insecurity, and disease. 

Historic Flooding in the Ohio River Valley

In January of 1937, the Ohio River Valley experienced “Black Sunday,” the worst flood the region had seen since European settlers founded Cincinnati.

The Ohio River, swelling past the flood stage for a week, would finally spill over precautionary barriers into the city’s infrastructure,  devastating the city and surrounding neighborhoods. Floodwaters swamped railways, waterworks, electrical stations, and telephone switches. Mill Creek Valley was a “lake of fire,” as tons of gasoline were ignited when a trolley line snapped, setting the spill ablaze. Six additional inches of snow fell, soaking the city’s coal and uprooting gas lines.

The flood lasted for nineteen days, killing hundreds throughout the region, displacing over 100k people, and costing over $75M in damages (over $1B today).

Health effects of flooding

The cost of severe floods is often characterized in economic terms – monetary damages, buildings destroyed, infrastructure repairs – but researchers are beginning to understand the full toll that floods have on community health, expanding far beyond accidental injury.

Immediate Health Risks:

During and directly after flooding, immediate threats to health and survival include hypothermia, drowning, and injuries such as fractures, strains, contusions, and soft tissue damage. In addition to the dramatically increased accident risk, high water can make access to rescue and health care facilities difficult or even impossible in some cases (this is especially acute for vulnerable populations). Flash flooding, because of its speed and unpredictability, compounds the risks and makes it more likely for people to be caught in high water situations at home and on the road. Furthermore, landslides are activated by storms and pose a significant risk in our region.

Prolonged Health Risks:

When the most time-sensitive dangers of high water have passed, other risks remain. Non-accidental deaths associated with cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and mental health disorders are equally as risky.

Destruction of buildings, homes, and roads cause displacement and homelessness. Those without the financial resources, relationships, or safety nets that can prevent or lessen displacement may find their situations especially dire as time goes on. 

Buildings impacted by flooding or even heavy precipitation can themselves pose a risk to inhabitants. Lingering moisture can lead to the growth of harmful molds and bacteria, which can exacerbate existing chronic conditions and cause breathing problems, decreased lung function, and infections. 

Disease is a risk factor to consider as water-borne bacteria and viruses are brought into potential human contact. High water can overwhelm sewer and waste management systems, dispersing contaminated water that can spread bacteria and diarrhea-causing diseases. Standing water, unable to be absorbed into saturated soil or drained into full sewers, is a breeding ground for microorganisms and biting insects. 

Staying safe during a flood

Having a flood plan is essential to keep you and others safe during a flood. Flood plans can be made for yourself, your home, your business, and your community. See these flood safety tips, for what to do before-during-after a flood. It is crucial to not walk or drive in flood water, to get to higher ground as soon as possible, and follow any and all evacuation instructions and orders that your local government or emergency organizations release. Protecting your house with needed improvements, flood insurance, and weatherproofing can protect your home from flood damage. Find resources related to making a flood plan at the end of this post!

Land and Water Quality After Flooding

Erosion happens when materials are worn away and removed by natural forces such as wind or water. Soil degradation happens when the quality of the soil itself declines and reduces its ability to support plants and animals. While erosion is a geographic process that has happened throughout history, flooding and other extreme events – exacerbated by human activity like farming, deforestation, and development and made more frequent by climate change – make soil erosion and degradation a threat to community health.

In the Ohio River Valley, we are especially vulnerable to soil erosion and degradation. Soil degradation increases waterway pollution because degraded lands are less able to retain water, increasing water runoff, worsening flooding further, and negatively impacting aquatic ecosystems. With an eroding riverbank, buildings and bridges along the river may experience structural change, making them unsafe for habitation and transport. Riverbank erosion can also allow chemicals to seep into our already polluted river, impacting the ecosystem and the health of the people who get their water from the river. 

It is estimated that a third of the soil in the world has been degraded, which is a massive concern since, without good soil, we can’t grow good crops to eat. The most vulnerable areas to soil erosion from flooding are farms, areas with low vegetation, and orchards. The Midwest relies on many farms to create a good economy, supply healthy food, and make a living for many families. If the soil in our region loses the necessary nutrients needed to keep a farm in business, everyone will feel its effects. 

Creating a Region Resilient Against Flooding

Currently, 67% of census tracts in the Cincinnati area are at risk of riverine flooding, with a projection to increase in the coming years. In the state of Ohio, “the city of Cincinnati has the greatest number of properties at risk of flooding in the state with 21,200 currently at risk, or 13% of its total number of properties. However, smaller cities or municipalities in the state, with fewer properties, may have a greater proportion of their total properties at risk.” There is also an expected 10% increase in extreme precipitation within the next 30 years compared to the current data. 

Having plans for our region is a meaningful way to become more resilient and prepare our communities. Taking action as soon as possible will lessen the effects of climate change on our health and homes. Learn more about your risk through resources like a recently completed assessment by NASA Develop of flooding and landslide susceptibility along the Ohio-Kentucky border in 2021. 

Despite the risks, much is being done in our city to plan and prepare for disaster. The Metropolitan Sewer District headed the Lick Run Greenway Project to address sewer overflows using green infrastructure such as bioswales and restoring sewers and stream channels. Groundwork Ohio River Valley’s Climate Safe Neighborhoods Project gathers data and community engagement to inform residents of their risks in several issues, including flooding, and aid in creating resiliency plans to mitigate them. Communities United for Action has dedicated issue-based teams for both Sewer Justice and Stormwater Management. 

You can lead change by supporting green infrastructure and watershed planning and advocating for the maintenance and improvement of our existing sewage and waste management systems. Protecting our riverbanks from erosion can limit the damage caused to homes and properties near the water. Limiting erosion can also protect water quality and limit the volumes of already present contaminants. 

Learn More

Webinar: Energy, Climate, And Health Outcomes

Watch the recording of the third installment of the Climate Health Public Service Announcement Webinar Series, Climate Change, Flash Flood Events and Health Outcomes in Greater Cincinnati, on YouTube. Our guest speaker is Aaron B. Wilson, PhD, Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University and State Climatologist for the State Climate Office of Ohio.

Resources

Infographics – download and share!

Flood preparation:

• What to Do Before a Flood
• Flood Safety for Greater Cincinnati
• ready.gov for Flooding

Community change:

• Flood Mitigation Assistance
• Soak up the Rain
• Green Infrastructure Federal Collaborative
• Watershed Planning and Green Infrastructure
• Brownfield Grants
• ReConnect Loan and Grant Program
• Emergency Watershed Protection
• PROTECT Program grants
• Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
• National Flood Insurance Program
• Communities United for Action
• Groundwork Ohio River Valley