VT officials call for new standards to account for climate change
One Vermont agency is calling for officials in the state to take climate change into account when planning policy in order to reduce damages and homeowners insurance claims resulting from severe weather events, which it expects to become more frequent.
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources says Hurricane Irene dropped up to seven inches of rain in some locations, causing record flooding across many areas. Following that incident, the agency says changes need to be made to protect residents in the future.
"Climate data show that Vermont is experiencing more extreme rain events, and that trend is predicted to continue," the report said. "Vermont's more significant floods may be occurring more frequently, and major flooding (as experienced in spring and summer 2011) is expected to pose a recurrent challenge to our communities."
Among the suggestions proposed by officials was one which would require any fuel tanks located in flood-prone areas to be secured so they cannot spill their contents and cause environmental damage.
Experts have recently noted other examples of unseasonably warm conditions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says January 2012 was the fourth-warmest January ever recorded in the contiguous U.S. and the mildest since 2006.
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