Assessing Flood Risks and Modeling Flood Events in Southern Appalachia: Understanding a Changing Climate's Impact Upon Indigenous and Rural Communities in Western North Carolina
Anderson CB. 2025. Assessing Flood Risks and Modeling Flood Events in Southern Appalachia: Understanding a Changing Climate's Impact Upon Indigenous and Rural Communities in Western North Carolina. Tennessee Technological University
ABSTRACT: As climate change continues, the United States is experiencing increasing severe weather events, including droughts, tornadoes, and flash flooding. In Tennessee, there have been a number of flash flooding events, including the 2010 Nashville floods, 2021 Waverly floods, and the more recent 2024 floods associated with Hurricane Helene in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. Southern Appalachia presents unique challenges for flooding events given the steep terrain and dense river networks as well as the higher rates of poverty and infrastructural difficulties. The aftermath of flooding devastated the rural and indigenous communities that live in western North Carolina including hurting local economies, eroding critical infrastructure, and the loss of life. GIS has been used to estimate the effects of flooding in the region for a future severe flooding event. Comparisons between areas that experienced flooding as a result of Hurricane Helene and those that were previously mapped as floodplains were made. These maps allow for consideration of risks associated with future weather events. The connections between climate change and flooding is critical to driving action and solutions in rural and indigenous communities.
- Type
- Academic
- Authors
- Anderson, Creek
- Date of Issue
- 2025-08
- Publisher
- Tennessee Technological University
- Units
- GRSM
- Keywords
- Appalachia, climate, Flooding, GIS, Indigenous, North Carolina, Raven Fork, Straight Fork, thesis