Infrastructure in the Carolinas took a beating after Hurricane Florence: in the town of Nichols, a sign celebrating rebuilding after Hurricane Matthew two years ago stands amidst the flooding. (Image courtesy of AP Photo/Gerald Herbert.)
Hurricane Florence hit the East Coast hard, causing millions of dollars of damage to roads and bridges. Both North and South Carolina were rocked by the storm, which was only the latest in a series of storms that have damaged their infrastructure. After the worst of the floodwaters have subsided, Carolinians are left with difficult questions: what exactly was damaged, and how can we mitigate the impact of the next big storm?
Like the storms that came before it, Florence washed out roads and bridges. But one of the biggest casualties in the recent storm may have been the state’s waste infrastructure, as the flooding spread toxic runoff from industrial sites towards local river systems. The failures could spread illness and add to the hurricane’s death toll, another blow to battered survivors.
The case for stronger protections on disposal infrastructure is obvious. But for anyone looking to solve the state’s waste woes, the answers are harder and costlier than they might like.
Background
The hurricane isn’t a first for the Carolinas. In 2015, they were hit with almost two feet of rain in a matter of days. The two states’ infrastructure took a beating, most notably when more than 40 dams in South Carolina collapsed,…