Hometown Hazard: Just Another Flood

I am originally from Georgia, but Delaware is what I consider home. You may ask yourself if Delaware actually exists or if I made that up. (I've heard this joke plenty of times) Delaware does in fact exist and it is a tiny state located next to Maryland. Milford is the town where I grew up during my teen years and where most of my family is located. Milford is one of the most recognized towns but unfortunately, there is not much to do. Other than exploring Walmart for the 50th million time, dining in at your favorite locally owned restaurant or maybe go out for a fun time at the bowling alley. 

While Milford is a very peaceful town, most of the peacefulness disappears once it starts to rain. Downtown Milford is known for the Misipillion Riverwalk which is a very beautiful scene, the small river that divides that town may look so calm and pretty on a regular basis but once it rains and the sea level rises the surrounding area starts to flood. The town works hard to keep the area clean and the drains working as efficiently as possible, but sometimes that is just not enough. 

Floods are very common and are caused by a few different reasons, such as a changing environment which means higher seas, new weather patterns, and stronger storms. As the atmosphere warms, there is more evaporation and more water available when it rains. A warmer atmosphere also means warmer oceans, which can intensify flooding from hurricanes and offshore storms. Sea level rise also increases coastal flood risks, as higher seas mean there's more water available when high tides and coastal storms cause flooding. After a day or two the water has completely disappeared. 

References

https://riskfactor.com/city/milford-de/1047420_fsid/flood

Images from:

https://delawarebayshorebyway.org/attractions/mispillion-river-walk-greenway/