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
Market Data | Apr 8, 2019
Engineering, construction spending to rise 3% in 2019: FMI outlook
Top-performing segments forecast in 2019 include transportation, public safety, and education.
Codes and Standards | Apr 5, 2019
Manhattan expected to adopt congestion pricing plan for automobiles
New York would be first U.S. city to charge drivers extra for downtown motoring.
Codes and Standards | Apr 4, 2019
Chicago makes major building code overhaul
Previous comprehensive changes were done 70 years ago.
Codes and Standards | Apr 3, 2019
Construction advanced materials makers can enhance industry efficiency with technology
Integration of new IT approaches in construction with new materials has potential to enhance sustainability, alleviate worker shortage.
Codes and Standards | Apr 2, 2019
Open offices reduce collaboration among employees
Counterintuitive finding makes value of wide open workspaces questionable.
Codes and Standards | Mar 29, 2019
New timber traceability LEED credit released
Pilot credit aims to reduce use of illegal wood in buildings.
Codes and Standards | Mar 28, 2019
Swinerton forms new mass timber business group
Will pursue new projects being developed with mass timber.
Codes and Standards | Mar 27, 2019
Shortage of skilled construction workers resulting in missed deadlines
Some 40% of contractors have turned down project offers.
Codes and Standards | Mar 25, 2019
ICC release 2019 guidelines for safe use of repurposed shipping containers
Provides in-depth, technical overview on how to design, review, and approve shipping containers as building elements.
Codes and Standards | Mar 22, 2019
Tool helps cities develop framework for life-cycle energy policies and track progress
Identifies policies, funding sources to address building energy use.