Includes bibliographical references and index.

The coming storm -- The essential history of high water -- Rivers need floods -- Dams : the promise and the reality -- Broken barriers -- Higher floods and the endless storm -- Floodplains are for floods -- The insurance connection -- Moving to higher ground -- Greenways -- Living with rivers.

Staff. Public.

"With Seek Higher Ground, environmental writer and former land-use planner Tim Palmer explores the legacy of flooding in America with a fresh look that addresses the emerging climatic, economic, and ecological realities of our rivers and communities. Global warming is forecast to sharply intensify flooding, and Seek Higher Ground 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 compelling case for both the protection of floodplain open space and for programs that help people voluntarily relocate the most threatened 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"--

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