Just Released! Order “Waking Up to Climate Change” by George Ropes, and receive 25% Discount. Learn More

HOME          CATEGORIES          OUR TAKE

What are the Biggest Risks/ Threats of Climate Change Facing Your Region ?by City Tech Blogger Jiaxin Huang

The rising sea level is becoming more of a concern in New York City. People are not only concerned over the rising level, but also the rate at which it is rising. Many cities along the coastline are particularly vulnerable to this issue. Scientist Erin Thead wrote an  article stating over the past two decades the sea level has risen 1/8 inch per year. Much of this is a result of the melting ice, the lack of refreezing and the increasing temperatures around the globe. According to predictions, by the year 2100, the sea level will rise another 6.6 feet. With rising sea levels, New York City is at risk for more flooding in the future. Thead also shows a map of the projected flooding for New York City and much of its coast lines will be affected.

 

 

Figure 2.  Current and projected future flood risks for New York City assuming 2.5 foot sea level rise by 2050.  Credit: Federal Emergency Management Agency/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . Retrieved from http://climate.org/sea-level-rise-risk-and-resilience-in-coastal-cities/

 

Along with the increasing sea level, there could be an increase in rainfall, river flooding, flash floods, and more. Because of rising sea levels, I believe it is important to take into consideration a thorough evacuation plan just in case of a natural disaster. While efforts to prevent further climate change will also help in the long run, it is just as important to know what to do when a disaster strikes at home. Many times, the lack of knowledge and planning will put the lives of many people in danger. For example, during hurricane Sandy many barriers were insufficient in preventing flooding. Con Edison’s power plant was submerged in a matter of minutes. Also, plywood and sandbags were the only defense for the subway system; a few of the many problems that took place throughout the city (New York Times, 2017). Many people were not prepared for Hurricane Sandy nor for the damage that exceeded the expectations of many residents affected. Houses along the coastline were destroyed, hospitals without power needed to be evacuated, and many neighborhoods throughout the boroughs were in chaos. This proved to the world that New York City was not prepared for any type of flooding or natural disaster. A hurricane like Sandy left the city in disarray, and would have lasting effects for the years that followed. Hurricane Sandy brought more attention to the issue of flooding than the news  of global climate change. There’s always news about rising sea levels and how climate change can affect certain regions around the world, but little do people realize, that until a disaster strikes people are worry free and believe that it will not happen to them. It is unfortunate that it takes a disaster to implement change for vulnerable regions. For this reason, rising sea levels are going to be quite problematic in the future. Awareness needs to be emphasized and preparation needs to take place in order to preserve and protect our coastal cities.

Comment on this article

ClimateYou moderates comments to facilitate an informed, substantive, civil conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, misleading, incoherent or off-topic comments will be rejected. Moderators are staffed during regular business hours (New York time) and can only accept comments written in English.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE


More Posts Like This

CITY TECH BLOG

My Take on Climate Change

According to information given on the website Climate.org, there are a number of statistics which are indicative of the current climate condition: For example, carbon dioxide in the Atmosphere — 414 (Carbon Dioxide…).  According to the Climate Portal of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “Atmospheric CO2 levels of

CITY TECH BLOG

My Take on Climate Change

Climate Change is largely discussed in today’s era, with countries doing everything they can to stop the increase of climate change, whether that’s using less plastic, reducing carbon emissions or resorting to solar energy. Despite everything that’s happening to prevent catastrophic events and aftermath in the future, climate

CITY TECH BLOG

Climate Change From My Eyes

Over the years we have heard the term climate change being used in so many different ways. We hear what climate change has caused or things we can do to prevent it. But we never get the actual definition of what climate change is or where the term