Coastal flooding has surged in U.S., analysis finds
Coastal flooding has surged in U.S., analysis finds
Source: Reuters - Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:33 GMT
By Ryan McNeill and Deborah J. Nelson
July 10 (Reuters) - Coastal flooding along the densely populated Eastern Seaboard of the United States has surged in recent years, a Reuters analysis has found.
During the past four decades, the number of days a year that tidal waters reached or exceeded National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration flood thresholds more than tripled in many places, the analysis found. At flood threshold, water can begin to pool on streets. As it rises farther, it can close roads, damage property and overwhelm drainage systems.
Since 2001, water has reached flood levels an average of 20 days or more a year in Annapolis, Maryland; Wilmington, North Carolina; Washington, D.C.; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Sandy Hook, New Jersey; and Charleston, South Carolina. Before 1971, none of those locations averaged more than five days a year. Annapolis had the highest average number of days a year above flood thresholds since 2001, at 34.
The analysis was undertaken as part of a broader examination of rising sea levels Reuters plans to publish later this year.
As many Americans question the causes and even the reality of climate change, increased flooding is already posing a major challenge for local governments in much of the United States.
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http://www.trust.org/item/20140710162904-7ophz/?source=jtInDepth
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