Duryea, Pennsylvania, is in a precarious situation due to the increased risk of flooding, exacerbated by climate change and outdated infrastructure. The town relies on a levee built in the 1970s to protect against the rising Lackawanna River, but this levee urgently needs a three-foot elevation to cope with rising water levels. Local efforts to secure $11 million in federal funds for levee improvements have been hampered by the retention of disaster preparedness funds. The National Climate Assessment highlights that the most intense storms in the Northeast now drop 60% more rain than in the mid-20th century, underscoring the need for immediate action.