Lawmakers: Ida damage shows need for infrastructure upgrades

By MATTHEW DALY and HOPE YEN
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers from both parties say haunting images of surging rivers, flooded roads and tornado damage caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida show the need to upgrade the nation’s aging infrastructure network. As the deadly storm moved from the Gulf Coast through the Northeast — killing over 65 people from Louisiana to Connecticut — members of Congress said the storm offered irrefutable evidence that the nation’s power lines, roads, bridges and other infrastructure are deteriorating even as storms and other extreme weather are strengthening. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says, “Global warming is upon us.”