Corps Of Engineers Projects 2-Ft Sea Level Rise By 2060 - Dead Silence From Talahassee

[hatrack]

If the state uses projections from the Army Corps of Engineers, policy leaders should be planning for a possible two-foot sea-level rise by 2060. But so far, it’s largely been up to local governments to figure out how to handle higher water.

“Sea-level rise is something that will impact millions of people throughout the state,” said Rep. Mark Pafford, D-West Palm Beach. “It’s preposterous to think we wouldn’t think about that, but in reality, we’re not doing a damn thing.”

Pafford thinks the state could create jobs and grow the economy by spearheading efforts to battle saltwater intrusion and coastal erosion. He doesn’t see much on the agenda during the upcoming session. But he hopes to have a workshop among a bipartisan committee of House members, even if no legislative proposals are likely.

“If the Army Corps is presenting numbers that indicate that we’re going to have that amount of water present in a very short amount of time, to me that would signal that the legislature needs to engage on the subject,” Pafford said. “At the end of the day, it’s going to cost money, and it’s not the local governments that are going to be able to handle this. It’s going to be the state that needs to belly up to the bar and begin having a realistic discussion about sea level rise.”

EDIT

http://wlrn.org/post/tallahassee-silent-sea-level-rise

[dipsydoodle]

1. Maybe now is the time to open up a boatyard

in Manhatten some of which is only 19" above sea level..

[LiberalEsto]

2. Talahassee will be really dead silent once it's under water

(gurgle, gurgle)

[phantom power]

3. nobody will plan for this

Eventually, they'll start to get some storm surges that flatten everything for a mile in-land. Eventually, there won't be money to rebuild. More or less like what's happening to the Philippines right now. That will be the "plan."

We'll keep behaving the way we do until we can't, and then we won't.
--James Kunstler

[hatrack]

4. And then they'll demand expanded federal flood and hurricane insurance mandates

It's the American Way!!

[HooptieWagon]

5. What is interesting...

...is that the new federal flood insurance hikes supposed to go into effect aren't hitting the beachfront and waterfront homes as heavily as they are the more modest homes. And its questionable if higher rates are even needed. In St Petersburg, theres a low-lying neighborhood called Shore Acres, which floods regularly. The City has raised the streets and improved drainage, and some houses have been raised, but it still scheduled for HUGE flood insurance rate hikes as its one of the most flood-prone areas based on insurance claims. Yet, the premiums paid over the past 30 years are more than 8 times as much as the amount of claims filed. This was per a recent article in the Tampa Bay Times. The article went on to point out that the heavy claims payments causing money woes in the federal program are mostly Katrina and Sandy related.

[adirondacker]

6. Thanks for posting. Interesting topic and discussion.