Hazardous
Weather Wreckers
Climate change could lead to widespread infrastructure damage in DFW over the next several decades
We all know the dangers of climate change to the environment, but earth and environmental scientist Arne Winguth is ringing the alarm about a more immediate concern: our transportation infrastructure. His new study warns of widespread damage to roads, railways, and airport runways in the Dallas-Fort Worth region over the next century.
The associate professor was lead author of the study “Climate Change/Extreme Weather Vulnerability and Risk Assessment for Transportation Infrastructure in Dallas and Tarrant Counties,” which was submitted to the North Central Texas Council of Governments. The climate prediction data he studied forecasts increases in temperature and drought severity, decreases in soil moisture, and higher chances of severe thunderstorms and tropical storm systems.
“All of these fluctuations could lead to an increase in the type of infrastructure damage already familiar to anyone who drives on area roads,” Dr. Winguth says. “We’ll see more cracks and potholes, even buckling and melting of asphalt roadways in extreme heat, plus more wildfires.”
He believes the report is a good start in addressing the need to weigh the effects of climate change and extreme weather on transportation infrastructure, but added that a more in-depth study is needed.