Tiny Tunnels, Big Risks: Aging Culverts Threaten Emergency Access

A new study models aging, undersized culverts in Massachusetts’ Deerfield River watershed and finds that many are ill-equipped for today’s storms; using a geospatial network of 783 culverts, researchers identify 242 crucial connectors whose failure can sever communities, and at higher storm intensities, roughly 30% of residents could be unable to reach an emergency room, underscoring growing risk as climate-driven downpours intensify and more culverts are being evaluated for replacement.