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In recent weeks in Philadelphia, citizens have seen and felt the brutal effects of climate change. The Schuylkill river flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, causing major problems around the city. The river crested at 16.35 feet, a record only exceeded in 1869 at 17 feet. The Vine Street Expressway (I-76) was submerged, and the failure of the major pumping system kept the water from being properly pumped out of the area. Some residents living on Main Street were trapped by the flood and had to be evacuated.
So what does this have to do with climate change? With increasing temperatures, oceans pump more moisture into the air, causing a shift in weather patterns to become hotter and wetter, with more significant snowstorms. Weather will not be the only aspect of urban life affected by the climate crisis. As storms and floods block parts of the city, public transportation will become increasingly less reliable with latenesses and detours. It could also cause health problems as Philadelphia is expected to experience more heatwaves and an increase of the average temperature over the next century.
I interviewed Masterman senior Malena Parrado (12-3), who lives in Center City, about her experience with flooding in her neighborhood. Parrado first noticed the flooding on her way to school, when she saw cars underwater and the first floors of buildings close to the Schuylkill river completely flooded. She passed I-676 on her way to school before her parents told her to come back home. She was shocked to find a big pool, considering she had hardly noticed the rain the night before. Her absence was excused by the school.
According to Parrado, the flooding severely affected her neighborhood. She reports seeing her neighbors a block and a half away being evacuated with the help of firefighters and rafts. It also left mud residue after the water receded, which required community efforts to clear.
I also experienced some of the same the morning of the flood. I live near the Schuylkill river, and that morning I looked out the window to
Photos courtesy of Isabel Portner (12-3)
see my street completely flooded, with the restaurant across the street halfway underwater. I ended up cutting through a grass area behind my apartment to catch the bus to school. When I got home, it had mostly receded, leaving behind a lot of mud and dust. It also left us without hot water or gas for about two weeks after.
My dad joked and called it the 150-year flood because it’s the worst one to happen in about 150 years- but it also shows how this environmental issue will only continue to worsen unless we take serious action to try and prevent it or slow it down.
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