I sometimes like to think of the vast network of streams and rivers as a wormhole portal of water. The portal is a transportation conduit on the surface of the Earth that moves water from the sky, back to its original birthplace, the ocean. Humans manipulate that transportation portal in all sorts of interesting ways. …
Author Archives: tombatroney
The Case for Stormwater Fees (Redux)
When it comes to being a progressively minded flood protected community perhaps nothing is more important than instituting a stormwater fee that is based on impervious surfaces. At the basic fundamental level, stormwater fees set the tone for the town. That the residents of the town are going to take impervious surfaces seriously. I personally …
The first week of July flooding blues
On July 7th and 8th we had back-to-back days of flash flooding in many parts of the region. Back-to-back days with flooding aren’t particularly abnormal if you’ve been living long enough in Pittsburgh. What I found most unusual is how over the past several years it seems as though the first week of July appears …
Humanity’s sandbox and how it impacts flooding (part 3)
This is Part 3 in an exploration of how humanity’s actions in our sandbox have created a more flood prone condition. Here’s links to Part 1 and Part 2. But really you can go ahead and read Part 3 without reading those parts if you want. You know, just do what feels good. If you …
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Humanity’s sandbox and how it impacts flooding (Part 2)
There’s an old adage that holds true like the sun rises in East. It goes, “When everybody is responsible, then nobody is responsible. When nobody is responsible, nothing gets fixed.” And, in my opinion, it’s very applicable when it comes to addressing and mitigating regional flooding issues. Previously in Part 1, I wrote about why …
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Humanity’s sandbox and how it impacts flooding (Part 1)
Water is in constant motion on this planet. It’s always raining somewhere, it’s always traveling somewhere. Naturally flowing through streams, rivers, lakes, oceans and groundwater reservoirs. Somewhere along its path we animals grab a small of portion of it, ingest it into our bodies, and put it back into nature just ever so slightly more …
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Unlocking Twitter and High-Resolution Radar Rainfall to Better Understand Urban Flooding
Hey flood blog readers, remember that blog post about Twitter and flooding data I wrote over a year ago way back in September of 2019? Ah yes… September 2019… those were the days. My mind harkens back to those distant far off memories when life was so grand, so simple, and so care free. The …
History of Modern Urban Flooding – Rise and Fall of the Trees (Part 8)
Author’s Note: This is the eighth part in a series of blog posts looking at the historical big picture of modern day urban flooding and the importance of trees. Go here for part one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven. Read this blog post on why I’ve decided to take on this project. The destruction of the great North American virgin …
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August 22, 2020 Flooding Reports
A very isolated and dangerous thunderstorm passed over the South Hills yesterday evening. The thunderstorm came from the east and radar estimates indicate upwards of 3+ inches in about an hour. Here’s the rainfall totals and animation from 3RWW high resolution radar rainfall data. One thing on my mind as I watch this animation is …
History of Modern Urban Flooding – Rise and Fall of the Trees (Part 7)
Author’s Note: This is the seventh part in a series of blog posts looking at the historical big picture of modern day urban flooding and the importance of trees. Go here for part one, two, three, four, five, and six. Read this blog post on why I’ve decided to take on this project. The price for American westward expansion, economic growth, and …
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The Pittsburgh Urban Flooding Journal 