Seek Higher Ground

Pairing in-depth journalism with historical perspectives, this book makes a compelling case for a natural solution to the growing problem of flooding.

With Seek Higher Ground, environmental writer and former land-use planner Tim Palmer explores the legacy of flooding in America, taking a fresh look at the emerging climatic, economic, and ecological realities of our rivers and communities. Global warming is forecast to sharply intensify flooding, and this book urges that we reduce future damage in the most effective, efficient, and equitable ways possible.

Through historical narrative, rigorous reporting, and decades of vivid personal experience, Palmer details how our society's approach to flood control has been infamously inadequate and chronically counterproductive. He builds a powerful argument for both the protection of floodplain open space and for programs that help people voluntarily relocate their homes away from high-water hazards. Only by recognizing the indomitable forces of nature – and adapting to them – can we thrive in the challenging climate to come.

1. The Coming Storm
2. The Essential History of High Water
3. Rivers Need Floods and Nature Needs Floodplains
4. Dams for Flood Control: The Promise and the Reality
5. Broken Barriers
6. Higher Floods and the Endless Storm
7. Floodplains Are for Floods
8. The Insurance Connection
9. Moving to Higher Ground
10. Greenways
11. Living with Rivers

Acknowledgments
Sources
Notes
Index
About the Author