scholarly journals A National Study on Protecting Infrastructure and Public Buildings against Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Chinowsky ◽  
Jacob Helman
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
The United States ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
National Study ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
The Cost

The national study analyzes sea level rise (SLR) impacts based on 36 different SLR and storm surge scenarios across 5.7 million geographic locations and 3 time periods. Taking an approach based on engineering design guidelines and current cost estimates, the study details projected cost impacts for states, counties, and cities. These impacts are presented from multiple perspectives including total cost, cost per-capita, and cost per-square mile. The purpose of the study is to identify specific locations where infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The study finds that Sea Level Rise (SLR) and minimal storm surge is a $400 billion threat to the United States by 2040 that includes a need for at least 50,000 miles of protective barriers. The research is limited in its scope to protecting coastal infrastructure with sea walls. Additional methods exist and may be appropriate in individual situations. The study is original in that it is a national effort to identify infrastructure that is vulnerable as well as the cost associated with protecting this infrastructure.

scholarly journals Protecting Infrastructure and Public Buildings against Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10538
Author(s):  
Paul Chinowsky ◽  
Jacob Helman
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
National Study ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
The Cost

The national study analyzes sea level rise (SLR) impacts based on 36 different SLR and storm surge scenarios across 5.7 million geographic locations and 3 time periods. Taking an approach based on engineering design guidelines and current cost estimates, the study details projected cost impacts for states and cities. These impacts are presented from multiple perspectives, including total cost for constructing seawalls, costs per capita, and costs per square kilometer. The purpose of the study is to identify specific locations where infrastructure is vulnerable to rising sea levels. The study finds that Sea Level Rise (SLR) and minimal storm surge is a USD 400 billion threat to the coastline of the lower 48 United States by 2040 that includes a need for at least 80,000 km of protective barriers. The research is limited in its scope to protecting coastal infrastructure with seawalls to enable consistency throughout the study. The study is original in that it is an effort across the lower 48 states to identify infrastructure that is vulnerable, as well as the cost associated with protecting this infrastructure.

scholarly journals Economic damages from Hurricane Sandy attributable to sea level rise caused by anthropogenic climate change

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin H. Strauss ◽  
Philip M. Orton ◽  
Klaus Bittermann ◽  
Maya K. Buchanan ◽  
Daniel M. Gilford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
East Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Hurricane Sandy ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Anthropogenic Climate Change ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Sea Levels

AbstractIn 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast of the United States, creating widespread coastal flooding and over $60 billion in reported economic damage. The potential influence of climate change on the storm itself has been debated, but sea level rise driven by anthropogenic climate change more clearly contributed to damages. To quantify this effect, here we simulate water levels and damage both as they occurred and as they would have occurred across a range of lower sea levels corresponding to different estimates of attributable sea level rise. We find that approximately $8.1B ($4.7B–$14.0B, 5th–95th percentiles) of Sandy’s damages are attributable to climate-mediated anthropogenic sea level rise, as is extension of the flood area to affect 71 (40–131) thousand additional people. The same general approach demonstrated here may be applied to impact assessments for other past and future coastal storms.

scholarly journals Conservation Choices in the Face of Sea-Level Rise: A Case Study on Marsh Migration from Phippsburg, Maine

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahan T. M. Dissanayake ◽  
Meagan K. Hennessey
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Land Conservation ◽  
Simulation Data ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Decision Method ◽  
The Face ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
Knapsack Algorithm

We analyze the benefits of incorporating climate change into land conservation decisions using wetland migration under rising sea-levels as a case study. We use a simple and inexpensive decision method, a knapsack algorithm implemented in Excel, with (1) simulation data to show that ignoring sea-level rise predictions lead to suboptimal outcomes, and (2) an application to land conservation in Phippsburg, Maine to show the real-world applicability. The simulation shows an 11-percent to almost 30-percent gain in increased benefits when accounting for sea-level rise. The results highlight that it is possible to, and important to, incorporate sea-level rise into conservation planning.

scholarly journals Socioeconomic and environmental predictors of estuarine shoreline hard armoring

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole E. Peterson ◽  
Craig E. Landry ◽  
Clark R. Alexander ◽  
Kevin Samples ◽  
Brian P. Bledsoe
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Coastal Hazards ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Shoreline Armoring ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
Estuarine Shoreline ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Rising sea levels and growing coastal populations are intensifying interactions at the land-sea interface. To stabilize upland and protect human developments from coastal hazards, landowners commonly emplace hard armoring structures, such as bulkheads and revetments, along estuarine shorelines. The ecological and economic consequences of shoreline armoring have garnered significant attention; however, few studies have examined the extent of hard armoring or identified drivers of hard armoring patterns at the individual landowner level across large geographical areas. This study addresses this knowledge gap by using a fine-scale census of hard armoring along the entire Georgia U.S. estuarine coastline. We develop a parsimonious statistical model that accurately predicts the probability of armoring emplacement at the parcel level based on a set of environmental and socioeconomic variables. Several interacting influences contribute to patterns of shoreline armoring; in particular, shoreline slope and the presence of armoring on a neighboring parcel are strong predictors of armoring. The model also suggests that continued sea level rise and coastal population growth could trigger future increases in armoring, emphasizing the importance of considering dynamic patterns of armoring when evaluating the potential effects of sea level rise. For example, evolving distributions of armoring should be considered in predictions of future salt marsh migration. The modeling approach developed in this study is adaptable to assessing patterns of hard armoring in other regions. With improved understanding of hard armoring distributions, sea level rise response plans can be fully informed to design more efficient scenarios for both urban development and coastal ecosystems.

Mapping the soft and ethical dimensions of sea level rise in southern Sweden

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Van Well ◽  
Anette Björlin ◽  
Per Danielsson ◽  
Godefroid Godefroid Ndayikengurukiye ◽  
Gunnel Göransson
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Coastal Areas ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Gis Mapping ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Southern Sweden ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Rising Sea Levels

<p>Sea level rise poses profound challenges within current municipal and regional governance since it requires unusually long planning horizons, is surrounded by great uncertainties, and gives rise to novel ethical challenges. Adaptation to climate change is fundamentally an ethical issue because the aim of any proposed adaptation measure is to protect that which is valued in society. One of the most salient ethical issues discussed in the adaptation literature relates to the distribution of climate related risks, vulnerabilities and benefits across populations and over time. Raising sea-walls is typically associated with high costs and potentially negative ecological impacts as well as substantial equity concerns; managed retreat or realignment often causes problems related to property rights; and migration out of low-lying areas can involve the loss of sense and cultural identity and impact on receiving communities.</p><p>How can the soft and ethical dimensions of rising mean sea levels be characterized and how can their consequences be mapped? To help municipalities to understand the values and ethics attached to measures to deal with long-term rising sea levels in southern Sweden, we are developing a methodology of soft or ethical values to complement to GIS-mapping of coastal vulnerability based on coastal characteristics and socio-economic factors.</p><p>Rather than determining these values a priori, they are being discerned through workshops with relevant stakeholders and in interviews with citizens residing in and utilizing the coastal areas. The methodology attempts to determine the place-based of values within coastal communities with a focus on “whose” values, “what” values, and the long-term or short-term nature of values. It builds on an analytical framework developed to acquire information on the behavior, knowledge, perception and feelings of people living, working and enjoying the coastal areas.  In turn this stakeholder-based information is used to co-create “story maps” as tools to communicate complicated vulnerability analyses, highlight the ethical dimensions of various adaptation measures, raise awareness and aid decisionmakers in taking uncomfortable decisions to “wicked” planning problems around the negative effects of sea level rise, coastal erosion and urban flooding.</p><p>This paper presents the methodological development of the task as well as the results the study in four Swedish municipalities. The representation of the “soft” and ethical values provides an opportunity to help clarify these values to policymakers and increase resilience to rising sea levels.</p>

scholarly journals Rising Sea Levels Bring a Tidal Change to Tourism

Eos ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Sima
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Rising Sea Levels ◽  
Tidal Change

A series of industry posters reimagines iconic locales in light of sea level rise and issues a call for action against climate change.

Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis of Coastal Inundation at Regional scale

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinay Shivamurthy ◽  
Bharath Aithal
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Decision Analysis ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Flood Risk ◽  
Sea Levels ◽  
Risk Levels ◽  
Multi Criteria Decision Analysis ◽  
Rising Sea Levels

<p>Coastal flooding are natural processes that are both i) essential (providing nutrients to the coastal vegetation, habitats) and ii) hazardous (negatively impact human activities, livelihood, assets, livestock and so on). Climate changes have induced higher frequency of floods, rising sea levels, high amplitude tides and other climatic extremes at regional to global scales. The increasing intensity, duration of floods is proportionately increasing the risks associated with coastal human habitations. The regional risks are defined based on the physical, demographic, socio-economic vulnerability of the habitants. Sea level rise would further enhance the coastal inundations permanently breaching these productive, densely populated regions. This necessitates the need for spatially assessing the relative hazard, vulnerability and risks at regional scales to reduce/mitigate risks.</p><p>Indian subcontinent supports the second largest global population, with numerous megacities, towns and villages along the coast and mainland. This study's main objective is to quantify the risk associated with inundations caused by rising sea levels, tidal surge at the regional level. As a case study, Sagar Island located in the verge of Sundarbans, south of West Bengal is considered. Flood risk assessment in the island has been carried out using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework based on 23 spatial parameters.</p><p>Results indicate, within a century (1922 – 2020), the island has lost most of its natural vegetation (mangroves - Sundarbans) (47% to 3%), with increasing cultivated (agriculture, horticulture) spaces (77.4 %) and built-up environs (8.2%). Sea level rise varies from 4.4 mm/year (South) to 5.25 mm/year (North) and in the last century has breached over 2824 hectares of mainland. The study's findings reveal 19.8% of horticulture and 33.3% of agriculture assets are highly exposed to natural hazards. 1.34% population are at relatively very high-risk levels, 17.81% at high-risk levels. The study's findings reveal the variable importance of socio-economic, demographic, topographic and proximity to public service, in defining the flood vulnerability and risk towards the habitants. The approach and findings of paves the way for planning authorities to prioritise risk mitigation strategies that are region-specific to reduce the impact of inundation due to natural hazards</p><p><em>Keywords: Sea level rise, Flood risk, MCDA, Vulnerability, flood hazard</em></p>

scholarly journals Response of Storm-Related Extreme Sea Level along the U.S. Atlantic Coast to Combined Weather and Climate Forcing

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 3745-3769 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianjun Yin ◽  
Stephen M. Griffies ◽  
Michael Winton ◽  
Ming Zhao ◽  
Laure Zanna
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
Climate Modeling ◽  
Atlantic Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Flooding ◽  
Meridional Overturning Circulation ◽  
The U.S

AbstractStorm surge and coastal flooding caused by tropical cyclones (hurricanes) and extratropical cyclones (nor’easters) pose a threat to communities along the Atlantic coast of the United States. Climate change and sea level rise are altering the statistics of these extreme events in a rather complex fashion. Here we use a fully coupled global weather/climate modeling system (GFDL CM4) to study characteristics of extreme daily sea level (ESL) along the U.S. Atlantic coast and their response to global warming. We find that under natural weather processes, the Gulf of Mexico coast is most vulnerable to storm surge and related ESL. New Orleans is a striking hotspot with the highest surge efficiency in response to storm winds. Under a 1% per year atmospheric CO2 increase on centennial time scales, the anthropogenic signal in ESL is robust along the U.S. East Coast. It can emerge from the background variability as soon as in 20 years, or even before global sea level rise is taken into account. The regional dynamic sea level rise induced by the weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation facilitates this early emergence, especially during wintertime coastal flooding associated with nor’easters. Along the Gulf Coast, ESL is sensitive to the modification of hurricane characteristics under the CO2 forcing.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document