Title: Encroaching Tides | Union of Concerned Scientists
Headings: Encroaching Tides
Encroaching Tides
How Sea Level Rise and Tidal Flooding Threaten US East and Gulf Coast Communities over the Next 30 Years
On the Front Lines of Tidal Flooding:
A daily cycle gains disruptive force
Tidal flooding in 2030: From occasional to chronic in 15 years
Tidal flooding in 2045: From chronic to incessant
What we can do: Sensible steps and forward-looking policies
In this report
Causes of Sea Level Rise: What the Science Tells Us
Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Rising Seas
When Rising Seas Hit Home: What Coastal Communities Can Expect, and When to Expect It
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Content: It has fundamental limits — whether physical, economic, or social — and it can only fend off the impacts of sea level rise to a point. As sea level rises higher, even our best protection efforts will not suffice in some areas in the face of rising tides, waves, and storm surges. If it reaches limits of coastal adaptation, a community will face the prospect of shifting back from heavily impacted areas. These limits will arrive sooner in those areas exposed to greater risks, those with more fragile ecosystems and limited natural buffers, and those that are less well-off economically. Leaders at all levels of government need to take seriously the risks facing people living along our coasts and the urgent need for action. We must prepare our communities for encroaching tides and other impacts of sea level rise even as we make a concerted effort to reduce the heat-trapping emissions that will determine the rate at which the ocean rises over the long term. In this report
Report
Causes of Sea Level Rise: What the Science Tells Us
Sea level is rising -- and at an accelerating rate -- largely in response to global warming. A 2013 fact sheet from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Report
Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Rising Seas
Many coastal communities face heightened risks from rising seas because of socioeconomic disparities.