Sandy Cook Silva/CWN
HYANNIS – The Cape was mostly spared the worst of Hurricane Lee’s impacts this past weekend, though it was a near-miss in what has been an overall historically devastating year for the nation.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, it’s been a record-breaking year for the United States for expensive weather and climate-related disasters, with over $57 billion in damages—and still 3 months to go for 2023.
The back-to-back disasters have also stretched federal resources thin, with advocates calling for FEMA to replenish its disaster relief fund.
With Cape Cod on the frontlines of climate change as a coastal community, Barnstable County leaders and lawmakers have emphasized the importance of prioritizing climate resiliency in the coming years as waters warm and storms grow more powerful.
The Cape Cod Commission has developed flood area design guidelines that outline strategies for reducing or eliminating hazards from sea level rise and storm surge.
About Grady Culhane
