Flooding on the Mississippi River and its tributaries throughout Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska and nine other states caused an estimated $6.2 billion in damage in 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its annual National Climate Report, released Jan. 15.

If you were hoping for a silver-bullet, big-infrastructure solution to save Greater Boston from the impact of rising sea levels, a major study coordinated by University of Massachusetts Boston’s Sustainable Solutions Lab released in the spring may have come as disappointing news.

Plans for a $2.5 billion bond issue to fund flood control and resiliency projects across Harris County are coming together, with the scheduling of a series of 23 community engagement meetings between June 5 and Aug. 1 to solicit public input.

Money includes $18 billion for Puerto Rico and an unprecedented $16 billion for mitigation projects in 11 states and territories.

After three nor’easters pummeled the East Coast this year, architects, engineers and environmental groups are calling for regulators to force building owners to protect their properties from extreme wind, flooding and heat related to climate change and sea level rise. 

The cold weather that swept across the Eastern Seaboard in early January is heating up the debate over the need for a more robust infrastructure to deliver natural gas to New England.