State governments can be key leaders in developing flood resilience programs at the local level in this climate change era of heavy rain events.
Municipalities simply don’t have the resources.
That’s the conclusion of a recent University of Michigan study that evaluated state policies for flood planning and resilience.
But state governments can’t go it alone. They have limitations, and it has to be a collaborative effort with cities, the study’s lead author, Sarah Hughes, told Planet Detroit. Hughes is an associate professor of environment and sustainability specializing in policy and planning.
“The states can be a resource,” Hughes said. “then it’s up to the local level to engage.” And it shouldn’t be every citizen’s responsibility to make elected officials pay attention to every issue, according to Hughes.
The study noted that precipitation during heavy rain events has increased by 35% since 1951 and that, combined with aged infrastructure, has raised the threat level for flooding.
An example is the 2021 storm that dropped six inches of rain on Detroit and the surrounding area in 24 hours. Vehicles were abandoned on freeways and drivers had to be rescued. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said the storm was “far beyond the capacity of Southeast Michigan’s stormwater system.”
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declared an emergency that allowed for the availability of state resources to deal with the damage.
Heavy rain events are not uncommon around the Great Lakes region, with Chicago’s south suburbs recently experiencing significant flash flooding after up to 10 inches of rain fell. Cleveland and Milwaukee reported similar rain-driven flood events in August.
Hughes’ study addressed and compared flood preparedness at the state level in the eight Great Lakes states, ranking the states based on the criteria of providing information, planning and guidance, regulations, funding, and finance. The study also ranked the states on equity and justice initiatives within those criteria.
It defined equity and justice as “identifying communities at greater risk and with fewer resources to respond, and by finding ways to channel resources to communities in greater need.”
Hughes said the study’s goal was to highlight states that are doing innovative work. And to show lagging states what is possible, as demonstrated by their Great Lakes neighbors.
New York and Minnesota received the highest ratings, with New York excelling in providing information, regulations and standards, and funding and financing. Minnesota, long-seen as a conservation leader in the region, scored high in planning, guidance and funding categories.
Michigan’s overall score was in the middle of the eight-state pack, but it received low marks for providing planning and guidance and for its regulations and standards. Illinois and Indiana tied for the states with the lowest rating.
Detroit is not in a position to do flood preparedness, according to Hughes, and that’s where the state could have a significant role to play.
But, states have limited ability to require local action, make rules and regulations, and grant permits, according to Hughes.
Who leads?
As for who should take the lead on flood preparedness, Hughes advocates for a collaborative approach.
The reality is that to make progress on infrastructure investment, “it will need the state to be onboard and the state as a good partner,” Hughes said.
Hughes acknowledged long-standing political tension between Lansing and Detroit officials. But she added, “in a lot of other states it’s the opposite where the state’s primary city and the state government are used to working together because that city is the main economic hub and population center.”
“I was surprised that wasn’t the case in Michigan,” she said.
Great Lakes and Michigan policy adviser Dave Dempsey advised former Gov. James Blanchard and has tracked the political relationship between Detroit, Lansing and the state’s rural areas for decades.
“The political relationship of Detroit with the rest of the state has been strained at best for decades,” said Dempsey, adding it “has been common for suburban and rural legislators to beat up on Detroit for allegedly being ungovernable and a drain on state funds.” He cited the late Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson, who Dempsey said, “built a whole career on that tenet.”
Hughes also pointed to the increased social impact and human costs of flooding and not preparing for them. She said that’s helping to raise awareness.
“In the flooding space, we’re starting to have more appreciation of how much damage occurs, even with small floods, and the impact on people’s homes, health and work,” Hughes said.
Detroit filmmaker dream hampton chronicled the social and human costs of flooding in her recent documentary, Freshwater, which received national exposure on PBS and was featured in the New York Times.
In the film, hampton said “flooding eats your memories,” and described how it stresses the foundation of your house.
Michigan lags on equity and justice
The study evaluated each state’s inclusion of equity and justice initiatives within the four categories it rated. It awarded a star for each category if it included equity and justice.
Minnesota received three stars out of the possible four for equity and justice. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin each received two stars and Michigan, Indiana and Ohio lagged, receiving zero stars.
Hughes said she was disappointed “as a Michigander” to see Michigan score poorly on equity and justice in the study, “especially given its struggles with equity and justice on water issues in the last ten years.”
She said she wants to see states involved minimally at a baseline level on equity and justice, and “we just didn’t find that explicitly in what Michigan has in place.”
“It’s in everybody’s interest that we take care of these communities,” Hughes said.
Michigan’s Dempsey questions if equity and justice have been properly framed.
“Equity and justice are not solely about race,” Dempsey told Planet Detroit, ”but also about income and age. Environmental justice can apply to rural communities as well as urban.”
Michigan’s Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) has an Office of Environmental Justice Public Advocate. Planet Detroit asked for a comment on the state’s poor ranking in the study on equity and justice.
Spokesperson Hugh McDiarmid said having not reviewed the study, EGLE wouldn’t comment. EGLE has a climate change strategy out for public comment that includes stormwater management changes, McDiarmid said.
Hughes said Milwaukee is a leader in flood preparedness, mitigation and adaptation.
“Milwaukee has integrated its water management – drinking water, stormwater and wastewater – and is orienting the city’s future and development around healthy water systems,” Hughes said.
Milwaukee Riverkeeper Cheryl Nenn told Planet Detroit the city “is leading the way on flood management in relation to removing concrete channels and dams and trying to restore some natural function to urban streams.”
A by-product of that work is developing a communications strategy designed to educate the community that all water—drinking water, wastewater, stormwater—must be managed holistically and sustainably Nenn said.
Asked if Hughes had a takeaway from the study of particular importance to the public, she cited state involvement.
“I’ve come to appreciate the role of state government,” Hughes said. “Yes, we need good policies, practices and investment at the local level, but if we want to innovate and scale up, we will need the states on board.”