Global Warming: Flood Risk Rising For U.S. Coastal Residents
Two new reports in the peer-reviewed science journal Environmental Research Letters have concluded that the risk of severe flooding in coastal areas of the U.S. is increasing dramatically due to global warming.
By 2030, storm surges combined with rising seas could raise waters to 4 feet (1.2 metres) or more above high tide lines at many locations, the reports said, noting that 5 million people live in this vulnerable zone. In Florida alone, the damages associated with increased flooding were estimated to be $30 billion according to independent analysis cited in the report.
The researchers write: “We estimate that, by mid-century, some locations may experience high water levels annually that would qualify today as ‘once a century’ extremes.”
More info on the reports is available in this HuffPo article.
