Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“Come Hell And High Water”: The Role Of Archivists, Historical Myths, And Activism In Communities Facing Repeated Extreme Flooding Events, Jay-Marie Bravent, Kari A. Greenwalt, Shawn Gladden

Library Presentations

While the names Harvey, Sandy, and Katrina ring loudly in the ears of many today – can we still learn valuable lessons in the archives from Diane, Camille, and Agnes? Climate change increasingly contributes to not only more frequent and more violent tropical cyclogenesis, but repeated extreme flooding events caused by unnamed weather systems, supercells, dam failures, and surges from rising oceans. These events have opened questions of survival for communities across the United States, and recent examples show that some communities indeed face pressure to abandon their long-standing ground and forego rebuilding.

In a 2013 article titled “Come Hell …