Contents 1 The Coming Storm  2 The Essential History of High Water  3 Rivers Need Floods and Nature Needs Floodplains  4 Dams for Flood Control: The Promise and the Reality  5 Broken Barriers  6 Higher Floods and the Endless Storm  7 Floodplains Are for Floods  8 The Insurance Connection  9 Moving to Higher Ground  10 Greenways  11 Living with Rivers  Acknowledgments  Sources  Notes  Index  About the Author 

"Brilliantly written, expertly researched, Seek Higher Ground examines in pathbreaking ways our ongoing cataclysm in the age of climate change. With first-rate reporting about history, ecology, and hydrology, Tim Palmer is the ideal author to reveal practical solutions to America’s chronic vulnerability to flooding. His heartfelt narrative is an urgent wake-up call for action. I highly recommend this important book!"—Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University and author of Silent Spring Revolution "Seek Higher Ground is the most comprehensive and compelling book written on the history and challenges of floodplain management—a must-read for anyone concerned about flooding. Anchored in fact and science, Tim Palmer’s engaging narrative boldly and correctly proclaims that the age of increased flooding is here. His account tells us what we've done wrong—and right—and it tells us what we must now do to prepare for the floods of the future."—Chad Berginnis, Executive Director, Association of State Floodplain Managers   "Beautifully written, seamlessly presented, Tim Palmer's book brings crucial issues of flooding together as no one has done before. His narrative—thoroughly supported by history, science, and economics—delivers an incisive critique of flood management in the past and a profoundly realistic proposal to solve problems that can no longer be ignored. This account is gripping to read and essential to understand as we face a world altered by a warming climate."—Philip Garone, Professor of History at California State University, Stanislaus, and author of The Fall and Rise of the Wetlands of California’s Great Central Valley   "Warm air holds more water vapor than cold—so we can expect flooding to keep increasing, which means we should pay close attention to the lessons in this book. Too much water is going to be as big a challenge for our earth as too little; now is the time to act."—Bill McKibben, author of Falter and The End of Nature    "Charting new waters, Tim Palmer’s compelling account of flooding and of what we must do about it is a story I could not put down. I recommend it to all who are affected when streams and rivers rise, to all who work in this challenging field, and to all who end up paying for the floods that are destined to increase as the climate crisis unfolds, and that includes every one of us."—Brian Richter, cofounder of The Nature Conservancy’s Global Water Program, President of Sustainable Waters, and author of Chasing Water

“Nature writer Palmer (Endangered Rivers and the Conservation Movement) delivers an urgent warning about the perils of Americans’ penchant for living too close to rivers destined to unleash catastrophic flooding as Earth’s atmosphere warms and its rains intensify. . . . What’s most valuable here are the stories of lessons learned by individuals and communities who have taken steps to end the cycles of rebuilding in and near floodplains. It's an encouraging guidebook for community leaders and organizers looking for a sensible path forward."