NOVEMBER OF 2018.
RICH:
LOCAL LEADERS ARE CURRENTLY
MEETING TO DISCUSS WAYS TO
COMBAT CLIMATE
CHANGE HERE IN WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS. 22NEWS REPORTER
TAYLOR KNIGHT IS LIVE IN THE
STUDIO.... TO EXPLAIN HOW CITIES
ARE WORKING TOGETHER... TO COME
UP WITH SOLUTIONS.
TAYLOR:
THE PIONEER VALLEY IS FAMILAR
WITH THE IMPACTS OF NATURAL
DISASTERS ... FROM FLOODING TO A
TORNADO.
IN HOLYOKE TODAY, LOCAL LEADERS
ARE ATTENDING A SEMINAR TO
DISCUSS WAYS ON
HOW TO PREPARE FOR, AND PROTECT
THE PIONEER VALLEY FROM THESE
NATURAL
DISASTERS.
MAYORS FROM BOTH EASTHAMPTON AND
HOLYOKE TOLD 22NEWS, THIS IS A
WAY
FOR LOCAL LEADERS TO WORK
TOGETHER TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE
STORMS.
THE MASSACHUSETTS SMART GROWTH
ALLIANCE REPORTS THAT MANY
TIMES, POORER COMMUNITIES ARE
HIT THE HARDEST DURING THESE
NATURAL DISASTERS ...
BUT THINGS CAN BE DONE NOW TO
LESSEN THE IMPACTS.
ANDRE LEROUX
"WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PLACES
THAT ARE FLOOD
PRONE AND THINK ABOUT BUILDING
AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN PLACES
THAT ARE NOT SO FLOOD PRONE.
ONE THING WE ARE SEEING IS THAT
THE '100 YEAR FLOODS' ARE
PROJECTED TO BE BECOME MUCH MORE
COMMON."
TAYLOR:
IN 2017 ALONE, THERE WAS MORE
THAN $300 BILLION IN DAMAGE TO
REAL ESTATE FROM
STORMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
TAYLOR
AND HERE IN WESTERN
MASSACHSUETTS, 3 PEOPLE WERE
KILLED IN THE 2011 TORNADO
THAT LEFT A PATH A DESTRUCTION
FROM WESTFIELD TO CHARLTON.
