STUDY: People living along Duwamish River are more concerned with climate change than local crime
Survey reveals Duwamish climate concerns
According to a new research study, people living along are the Duwamish River said they have concerns about the changing environment -- more than local crime and homelessness.
SEATTLE - According to a new research study, people living along the Duwamish River said they are more concerned about the changing environment than issues like local crime and homelessness.
The Duwamish River is the lower twelve miles of Washington's Green River which flows into Elliott Bay. Last fall, the Seattle Assessment of Public Health Emergency Response (SASPER) ran a resiliency survey for the community of the Duwamish Valley.
SASPER is made up of community groups, local agencies and researchers.
Volunteers asked 167 people to list their top three concerns. They could choose between a variety of topics from homelessness, food insecurity, COVID-19 and so forth.
The study's results tell us the majority of households, more than 60%, are concerned about environmental impact. The concerns that followed were crime and cost of living.
Volunteers then asked people to rate their level of concern about specific hazards.
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The results from that part of the study tell us poor air quality is the source of most worries. Almost 60% of households listed it as their top concern. A close second was extreme heat and then wildfires.
All three concerns are validated. Just two years ago, Seattle reached its hottest temperature in history. That was June 18 when it hit 108 degrees at Sea-Tac Airport.
The study also highlights the South Park flooding event that happened late December. This is when heavy rain forced king tides into the Duwamish River, causing flooding.
Friday afternoon, the banks were at low tide, exposing the dirt and rocks. It's easy to see how a large flow of water would flood nearby walkways and greenery.
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Flooding is a major concern for this part of Seattle. Looking at the city's sea rise projection map, you can spot the areas expected to see community-level impacts from various levels of coastal flooding and rising sea levels. The darker the red, the worse it's expected to be.
Most of which are right along the east and west waterway.
According to the city, sea level rise is projected to be about one foot by 2050. By 2100, it could get up to two to five feet.
The study also talks about improving resiliency and how they can improve. More than 60% said a resilience hub would be useful in an emergency. It would provide basic needs along with social services. It would also be a place where people can find volunteering opportunities if they want to help.