The Extreme Weather Fluctuations of Des Moines
One of the reasons why Des Moines and Iowa as a whole has hit the media is because of climate change. There are extreme weather fluctuations in Des Moines with the winters being extremely cold and the summers being too hot and humid. The entire Iowa state has gotten warmer over the past 30 years.
It is also projected that the years ahead will even be warmer than before which means that cities will be hit by more rainstorms. A good example of such rainstorms is the torrential rains that hit Des Moines in June 2018 causing flash flooding. The rains flooded homes and streets and even caused some of the roads to be closed, homes and business to be evacuated.
The state of Iowa has seen an increase of 1.3 degrees in temperature over the last thirty years. This is not a significant increase for people to feel it and notice but it is significant enough to bring a lot of weather changes. The summers in Des Moines are very warm, humid and wet. Learn more about the Iowa Cubs in Des Moines here.
There are more danger days in Des Moines with heat index of above 105 degrees and the dew point temperatures have also increased leading to steamier summers. It is estimated by the year 2100, the summers in Des Moines will be 11.6 degrees hotter than they are now.
The warmer days have also increased over the years which in turn means that the mosquito season is increasing. People are exposed to more mosquito days and therefore higher probabilities of catching the Zika Virus.
Winters on the other hand are super freezing, dry and windy. They are also very cloudy. The snowy period lasts for 4.3 months from November to March and the temperatures recorded can go as low as -3 degrees Fahrenheit.
What should be done to combat effects of weather change?
Since the weather change has been witnessed a lot has happened. There is the need for farmers and land owners in Des Moines to work together with the government to ensure that flood water loses momentum as it goes downstream. This will reduce the impact that it has and therefore reduce the damage.
Also, there is the need for the Des Moines community developer to rethink the plan of the town. The sewer systems need to be upgraded and renovations should be done in neighborhoods that have outdated infrastructure that pushes raw sewage and storm water into the basements of homes like in Beaverdale.
It is imperative that Iowans vote for leaders that are conscious about the environment. With such leaders it is possible to push legislations that advocate for use of alternative energy which reduce greenhouse gas emissions and therefore protect the environment from extreme weather fluctuations.
The developments coming up in Des Moines should have minimum downstream effect. There is also need to add bigger culverts and more culverts on the roads. Bigger pipes should also be installed to deal with flood water. Some of these prospects are underway while others still need more funds to be completed. Find out more about Paramount Kitchen & Bath in Des Moines, IA.
