Lets Talk About the Supporting Data
The Data
Over 8 billion dollars of dammage are cause anually in the U.S. due to flooding alone, and flooding kills 127 Americans a year on average.
Urbanised areas are 2 to 6 times more likley to flood because the ground is covered in concrete, which prevents water from seeping into the ground. This is bad because when the water cant drain into the ground, it flows to the nearest drain, and gets taken to the nearest stream or river. When this stream or river fills, the drains continue to funnel in water, causing the areas around the reiver or stream to be flooded.
Like here is a flood map of Houston TX, the blue areas are at high risk for flooding. These blue areas are mostly around the drainage bayous and rivers, which are the lowest point.
Allowing the ground to absorb more water means that instead of quickly flowing in concrete pipes to streams it can go straight into the soil, meaning less water flows away, so that the rivers and streams dont overflow.