Climate Change to Bring Dramatic Surge in East Coast Floods, Scientists Warn

[adirondacker]

A study from the Union of Concerned Scientists reveals that floods are slated to drastically increase in just 15 years
by
Sarah Lazare, staff writer

"Dozens of cities and towns on the U.S. Atlantic coast will face a dramatic increase in tidal flooding within just 15 years as a direct result of climate change-driven sea level rise, with some communities projected to face such frequent flooding in the near future they could become unlivable, a study released Wednesday reveals.

The report, entitled Encroaching Tides: How Sea Level Rise and Tidal Flooding Threaten U.S. East and Gulf Coast Communities over the Next 30 Years, was published by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Researchers analyzed National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tide gauges for 52 cities from Maine to Texas and then used this data to project future sea rise and metropolitan flooding.

The report finds that most cities and towns on the Atlantic coast already face dozens of high tide floods on an annual basis as a result of climbing sea levels, which rose about 8 inches between 1880 and 2009. In just 15 years, this problem is projected to grow worse. By 2030, over half of the 52 cities analyzed will face an average of two dozen of such floods a year. And two-thirds of the 52 cities evaluated will see three times the amount of floods they face today.

For some cities, this boosts flood frequency to staggering levels. Annapolis, Maryland and Washington, D.C. are two cities that, in 15 years, will face over 150 tidal flood events annually."

<SNIP>
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2014/10/08/climate-change-bring-dramatic-surge-east-coast-floods-scientists-warn

Link to the report...
http://www.ucsusa.org/global_warming/impacts/effects-of-tidal-flooding-and-sea-level-rise-east-coast-gulf-of-mexico

[ladjf]

1. What do those scientists know? They're probably paid off by some

liberal guy. I get my meteorological information from Limbaugh and FOX news.

[One_Life_To_Give]

2. Those are not the events I would be worried about

Places that experience flooding tide 10 times a year, see it 30 times a year won't cause much change. Flooding in a place that only experiences it once every ten years or more suddenly getting it once or twice a year would be huge. Parking lots and roads get flooded several times a year. Homes and businesses get flooded much less than once a year.

[nitpicker]

3. Abandon your monuments now!

Seriously, a lot of the parks in DC are on reclaimed marshland. I downloaded a map from ca 1900 showing some significant differences in the SW-SE waterfront and the VA waterfront from today.

And any combo of high tide and rainfall leaves Hains Point parts awash now.

Time to erect levees such as were built on Bolling AFB after Agnes?