Three small North Carolina towns face an unknown and daunting future as they fight for their very existence. Fair Bluff, Seven Springs and Princeville, all low lying communities along major rivers, have faced multiple floods from hurricanes Mathew, Florence and others with increasing regularity due to climate change. With each flood, the population is cut by as much as half, downtown retail areas are erased, and the task of rebuilding feels increasingly unsurmountable. The locals, mayors and the town planners who have stuck around refuse to give up on the towns that they love.
The story, written by Christopher Flavelle, published in The New York Times under the headline: Climate Change is Bankrupting America’s Small Towns.
