Climate change disproportionately overburdens already disinvested communities of color, and with predicted increased likelihood of more frequent and more extreme weather events, urban and river flooding is expected to intensify and become the “new normal.” The international 6th IPCC Climate Change report 2023 finds that severity and frequency of urban, flash and river flooding will continue to increase, affecting an additional 30% of the global population if temperatures rise by 2°C. In areas where flooding is already a severe issue, the predicted effects may be catastrophic. A recent study finds evidence that climate change is shifting the highest risks of flooding in the US to the Gulf Coast states with clearly disproportional impacts on African American communities. According to the authors, areas with at least 20% of African American population will face a 40% increase in risk of flooding.

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