Why Do People Choose to Live Next to Flooding Rivers?:
Andrew Jones hears from people across Pennsylvania as he investigates
flood plains and their residents.
Watch Andrew Jones' documentary film
on Pennsylvania flood plain residents.
Read a Research Penn
State article about Andrew Jones documentary work.
Pennsylvania Floods and the People who get Flooded
Andrew Jones comments:
When I decided to investigate the reasons why people choose to locate their homes in flood hazard areas, I was not prepared for the multitude and complexity of the issues involved in this pressing dilemma. Cultural ties, societal customs, political aims, geographic location, and basic human emotions are all factors that have added fuel to the fire of this seemingly unending conflict between man and nature over the years.
The documentary video that emerged from my research and videomaking efforts
proved to be more a discussion of the difficult questions surrounding the
flood hazard in Pennsylvania than a discrete answer to an oftentimes unwieldy
research question. More than a simple documentation of events, I hope the
video accurately portrays the many sides of this issue and most importantly,
the human faces and emotions indelibly tied to flood tragedies.
I recently returned from a job in California working as a wildland firefighter
with the United States Forest Service. The questions raised in my documentary
are as pertinent to the forest and grasslands of the American West as they
are to the watersheds of eastern Pennsylvania. Those who choose to move
into forest lands face natural risks from wildfires the same as people who
choose to locate their homes next to naturally flooding streams and rivers.
I feel that the ways in which we as a culture choose to view and act upon
our relationship with the natural world in the years to come will be a significant
factor in the success of our efforts toward societal sustainability.
Andrew graduated in May 2002 with a degree in Film/Video and Geography ( Department of Geography). After interning with the National Geographic Society and working with the U.S. Forest Service, he is planning on serving with the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan as an environmental education volunteer.
Please feel free to contact Andrew with any questions or comments concerning the video, “Rising Waters” at becomingandy@yahoo.com.
