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Indicator: Frequency of Flood Events
Data and Data Discussion provided by Sustainable Seattle
- Upstream Indicators
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Acres in Forest and Farm Land --- King County has maintained its forest and farmland with very little change in total acreages since 1995. (view data graph)
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Carbon Footprint --- Since 2004, the state's and King County's emissions have been on the rise. In particular, transportation related GHG emissions and total energy use in King County continue to rise. (view data graph)
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- more info
- Downstream Indicators
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There are currently no published Downstream Indicators.
Sustainability Snapshot:
Numerous human activities can increase the risk of flooding in an area, including vegetation removal, floodplain development, impervious surface changes, inadequate sizing or poor design of roads, culverts or bridges as well as many other watershed disturbances that impact natural hydrologic functions. Also, recent climate modeling results indicate that “extreme” weather events may become more common in some regions, including the western U.S., as rising average temperatures produce a more energetic climate system. The projections for smaller snowpacks in the Cascades could mean a reduced risk of early spring flooding (from rain-on-snow events) in certain snow-dominant watersheds like the Skagit, but soils saturated by the premature snowmelt could be more susceptible to flooding associated with late-spring rains.
Data Discussion
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