Higher high tides bubbling up from storm drains and spilling into streets require improved flood defenses against rising sea levels, federal officials warned Tuesday.
“Water levels are nearing the brim in many communities,” said William Sweet, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. About 2/3 of the federal tide stations along the East and Gulf coasts saw increased flooding over the past year.
“We’re having sunny day flooding, (with) no storm at all and you’re starting to overwhelm the defenses,” Sweet said.
Every inch matters, too. A one-inch rise rise in sea level makes “a very noticeable change” when an above normal high tide pushes into low-lying areas, he said.
Compared to 2000, the East and Gulf coasts “already experience twice as many days of high tide flooding compared to the year 2000, flooding shorelines, streets, and basements and damaging critical infrastructure,” said Nicole LeBoeuf, director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service.
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What’s the forecast for the future?
Nearly a foot of sea level rise is expected over the next 30 years.
High tide flooding is forecast to surge by 2050, occurring on average between 45-70 days a year, up from an average of four over the past year, according to the updated projections released Tuesday.
In Galveston, Texas, high tide flooding could occur up to 198 days…
