In early August, massive flooding hit southeastern Wisconsin after what some are calling a “thousand-year rain event.” One Milwaukee County official even likened it to experiencing a hurricane. So many people are going to be struggling to recover from this cataclysmic event.

Because of that, it is imperative that elected officials and public institutions step up and help people in this hour of need. We’ve seen a tremendous amount of support from first responders all over the region, and we should all be grateful for their dedicated work.

Beyond taking care of these immediate needs, we need to be making sure our infrastructure in the region is built to withstand greater amounts of rainfall coming due to climate change. Many of the wettest years in Milwaukee’s history have occurred over the last decade. But reports have indicated that Milwaukee’s Greenseams program, implemented after floods in 1997, helped mitigate some of the damage from recent flooding. We need more programs like that if we’re going to build for a safer, more resilient future.

Find all of Dan's work at The Recombobulation Area. Subscribe to The Recombobulation Area's podcast wherever you listen to podcasts, and see more the Civic Media website.