Rebecca Hersher A neighborhood near Wilkes-Barre, Pa., is flooded in September 2011, after heavy rain caused the Susquehanna River to rise dramatically. Mel Evans/AP hide caption The town of Duryea, Pa., is on the banks of the Lackawanna River. Residents can see the low, placid water from their churches, schools and houses. But, when there's a lot of rain, the river rises, and can cause catastrophic flooding. Since the 1970s, a tall earthen levee has protected Duryea from floodwaters. But the river gets higher than it used to. Changes in the river due to development combined with the effects of climate change, which makes heavy rain more common, means that Duryea faces more water now than in the past. "We are seeing increased storms and increased water volumes," says Laura Holbrook, the director of the flood protection authority for Luzerne County, Pa, where the town is located. The levee in Duryea needs to be raised by about 3 feet in order to adequately protect the town, she explains.…