If we want to understand the full picture of climate-fueled flood risk to New York City, we can’t just look at rainfall.
by Arielle Samuelson, Heated
If you read the news or scrolled social media this weekend, you probably heard that New York City experienced record-breaking rainfall and catastrophic flooding on Friday.
You probably heard that LaGuardia Airport shut down a terminal; that subway lines transformed into cesspools; that a whirlpool formed in Brooklyn; that a sea lion escaped its enclosure in the Central Park Zoo.
But what you may not have heard, as I hadn’t before yesterday, is that scientists who study coastal flooding actually consider Friday’s flood to be “mild.” That’s because, while the rainfall itself was record-breaking—more than 8.65 inches fell at JFK airport—the coastal flood level was only two feet above high tide.
That level of flooding is classified as an annual flood, said Kelly Van Baalen, project manager of Climate Central’s sea level rise team. “The numbers on the rainfall are a piece of it, but you would expect coastal flooding of this sort every year,” she said.
Recent Posts
Israel’s Greatest Weapon Was Fear — And It Is Now Failing
Take Action Now Israel’s war on Iran reveals a deeper crisis: the collapse of a psychological doctrine built on fear and invincibility.By Ramzy…
When Millions Marched for Immigrant Rights
Take Action Now The 2006 mega-marches against legislation to criminalize the undocumented revealed the hidden power of immigrant workers.By Alan…
Trump’s Iran War Costs $1 Billion A Day While Hospitals Close and Healthcare Disappears
Take Action Now Critics warn the administration’s military campaign could fund food aid and healthcare for millions of Americans already struggling…
Chuck Schumer: Man of Peace
Take Action Now For Schumer, the long-enjoyed imaginary nightmare of a nuclear Iran was always a justification for lawless U.S. actions because it…