Flooding

The document details how climate-driven flooding, including extreme rainfall and sea level rise, disproportionately affects children's physical and mental health. It highlights risks such as respiratory issues from mold, mental health distress, and displacement, while noting that socioeconomic disparities exacerbate these vulnerabilities. The text provides guidance for caregivers on disaster preparedness and advocates for community resilience and rapid carbon emission cuts to protect future generations.

• Climate change is increasing flood hazards through heavier precipitation, more intense storms, and rising sea levels. In the U.S., extreme rainfall events have been on the rise since the 1980s.
• Children face significant physical and mental health risks following floods. Physical risks include respiratory infections, asthma attacks, and allergic reactions caused by exposure to indoor mold in homes and schools. Mental health risks include anxiety and depression; for example, children in homes with even minor damage from Hurricane Sandy were over four times more likely to be sad or depressed than those in undamaged homes.
• Sea level rise and inland flooding threaten child displacement. Approximately two feet of sea level rise is expected along U.S. coastlines this century due to existing carbon pollution. Research indicates that 20 inches of global sea level rise could put 185,000 children at risk of losing their homes and one million more at risk of temporary displacement, while 4°C of warming could put 560,000 children at risk of temporary or permanent displacement from inland floods.
• Flood vulnerability is unevenly distributed based on socioeconomic and racial factors. Households with lower socioeconomic status or racial and ethnic minority households in coastal communities are more likely to experience extensive flooding. These households often lack flood insurance and face compounding challenges such as food insecurity, inadequate temporary housing, and difficulty evacuating.

APA

Climate Central (2024). Flooding. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7mq6EV8U1d1CcikKtGRWKd/cc8fddbf1def110ab1b4a416450cddf3/ChildrenAndClimateChange_Flooding.pdf

Chicago

Climate Central. Flooding. 2024. https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7mq6EV8U1d1CcikKtGRWKd/cc8fddbf1def110ab1b4a416450cddf3/ChildrenAndClimateChange_Flooding.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Flooding |date=November 2024 |url=https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7mq6EV8U1d1CcikKtGRWKd/cc8fddbf1def110ab1b4a416450cddf3/ChildrenAndClimateChange_Flooding.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024flooding, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Flooding}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = nov, url = {https://assets.ctfassets.net/cxgxgstp8r5d/7mq6EV8U1d1CcikKtGRWKd/cc8fddbf1def110ab1b4a416450cddf3/ChildrenAndClimateChange_Flooding.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }