As an intern for the Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works, I have experienced first hand the effect flooding has had on local communities. The climate change crisis, pre-existing infrastructure, and state budgets and regulations all contribute to the challenges in finding and implementing solutions to flooding. Climate change has great affects on flooding and has also increased storm intensity. Because the ocean's surface is warmer, storms are able to form and travel at a much stronger rate than before. Because of this, we have seen an increased amount of catastrophic storms and greater damage in the storm effected areas. As a civil engineer it's important to consider solutions, such as implementation of renewable energy sources, to contribute to mitigating climate change. Climate change will not be something we can reverse. However, we can mitigate the effects of climate change and adapt to our new environment. Another challenge is working with pre-existing infrastructure. It is difficult and costly to demolish existing infrastructure for more effective, modernized constructions. For example, Paulsen Road in Watsonville, CA experienced destructive flooding during the January 2023 winter storm surge. When I went to assess the impact of the storm on the road and culverts, half the road was completely flooded. The other half of the road contains a bridge and I discovered that the bridge section was completely dry, there was no water flow under the bridge. Although these situations are exciting when considering the ideas of new constructions, it would be difficult to work with the pre-existing infrastructure as it would require completely pulverizing the road and rebuilding a new road and bridge. Lastly, local and state budgets and regulations can make new construction projects difficult at times. It is important as an engineer to work within environmental regulations and consider the budgets. For engineers working in Santa Cruz County, federal and state budgets must be considered when prioritizing and executing projects. Furthermore, local environmental restrictions must be complied with to ensure new developments are not harming the surrounding ecosystem. Although these restrictions may be difficult to work around, it presents new opportunities for engineers to create new designs and implement them in their projects. For large culvert replacements, the county has implemented HDPE piping. HDPE piping is made of a durable and low maintenance plastic material as opposed to metal pipes that corrode and deteriorate with time. Because of this, water flow has been much smoother and the impacts of heavy rains and flooding have been lessened. In conclusion, there are several factors engineers must consider when it comes to reducing flood issues. Subjects such as global warming, existing infrastructure, and local and state regulations and budgets must all be considered and complied with in order to make certain that new constructions will be efficient and safe. I personally am looking forward to the challenges and opportunities that are presented to engineers when faced with adversity. What is most exciting is being able to help the public and seeing your work directly helping residents and the community.