An analysis of tidal levels and flood data by the news organization Reuters concludes that flooding has increased along the Eastern Seaboard over the past four decades.
During that period, 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 trend roughly tracks a global rise in sea levels, with an average rise of 8 inches in the past century, according to the 2014 National Climate Assessment.
At flood threshold, water begins pool on streets. If it rises beyond that point, 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 of flooding.
Reuters’s analysis was based on more than 25 million hourly tide-gauge readings from nearly 70 sites on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts and a comparison of that data to NOAA flood thresholds. Reuters then narrowed the analysis to 25 gauges with data spanning at least 50 years. The organization plans to publish a more in-depth examination of rising sea levels later this year.
(http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/10/us-usa-sealevel-flood-idUSKBN0FF20220140710)
Related Stories
| Mar 26, 2014
EPA clarifies Clean Water Act in revision that was opposed by developers
The Environmental Protection Agency recently unveiled a rule designed to define more clearly which waterways are covered by the Clean Water Act and therefore require U.S. permits for certain activities.
| Mar 26, 2014
Better Buildings Initiative leading to tens of millions of dollars in savings annually, says DOE
Facilities across the nation have been able to shave on average about 2.5% of their annual utility costs through efficiency initiatives spurred by the federal Better Buildings Initiative, according to the Department of Energy’s Maria Vargas.
| Mar 26, 2014
Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha fire could prompt building code changes
A dormitory fire at the University of Nebraska at Omaha that displaced with 42 students (but caused no injuries) could trigger local building code changes.
| Mar 26, 2014
Associated Builders and Contractors wary of federal overtime rules changes
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) cautioned that President Obama’s directive to the U.S. Department of Labor to change federal overtime rules could harm its members.
| Mar 19, 2014
Oklahoma City mandates safe rooms in new schools
The move will affect 24 districts that have schools inside Oklahoma City limits.
| Mar 19, 2014
Green building standards can help building become more storm-resistant
Structures built to green standards have added resilience to destructive storms because green buildings are often constructed with stronger, more sustainable materials than traditional buildings.
| Mar 19, 2014
Ohio Senate passes rule to require state agencies use ANSI standards rather than LEED
The resolution specifically mentions LEED v4, and calls for the U.S. Green Building Council to conform to ANSI.
| Mar 19, 2014
Tucson ignores ADA, building code on city-owned property
The city has been operating a downtown dirt parking lot in violation of its own code and the federal law for years.
| Mar 19, 2014
Santa Monica, Calif., may offer LEED alternatives to help promote green construction
With developers in Santa Monica, Calif., looking for ways to build green more inexpensively, the city may consider alternatives to LEED such as Green Globes.
| Mar 18, 2014
Canadian wood industry pushes for ‘wood first’ legislation on mid-rise public projects
The wood lobby is pushing Canadian provinces to pass “wood first” legislation specifying wood framed structures as the default for mid-rise public works projects where warranted.