- NYC sea levels to rise
- Climate change impact discussed
- Mitigation efforts underwa
According to climate scientists, sea levels around New York City may increase by one foot in the 2030s, which could result in the formation of tropical cyclones and higher temperatures.
According to a new report by the New York City Panel on Climate Change (NPCC), annual precipitation is projected to increase by as much as 10 percent, and global warming would increase by between 2 and 4.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
The estimations are predicated on greenhouse gas and carbon emissions that contribute to the melting of ice sheets and increased precipitation, both of which escalate sea levels.
In the past century, the sea level in New York City has risen by approximately one foot; if the NPCC’s forecasts are accurate, this increase would double in just thirty years.
However, many climate experts predicted that sea levels would rise considerably by 2021, drowning areas of the city. Those forecasts were proven to be false.
In response to the most recent forecasts from the NPCC, the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) informed that it is “collaborating with the New York City Panel on Climate Change to complete the most recent Climate Risk Information report, which is grounded in the most current scientific findings.”
“PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done,” our long-term strategic climate plan, contains the projections and the city’s efforts to safeguard New Yorkers from climate threats, according to the MOCEJ.
NPCC Report: NYC Sea Levels
The NPCC presented the city’s rising sea levels study to a northeast climate collaboration earlier this month. These were attributed to the increasing levels of petrol emissions.
The panel of 20 climate specialists advises New York City politicians on climate challenges in the five boroughs.
During the presentation, the organization noted that the city receives an average of 46.6 inches of precipitation annually. However, a 10 percent increase would result in the town receiving approximately 51.2 inches of rain annually by the 2030s.
By 2050 and 2100, precipitation is expected to rise by 14% and 30%, respectively, to 53.1 and 60.5 inches.
The coastal location of New York City renders it highly exposed; however, due to its status as the most densely populated city in the United States, it is more susceptible than other coastal cities to the impacts of rising sea levels.
The ramifications of sea level rise became readily evident during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Tidal surges flooded the city, killing 44 people and destroying homes and tube systems.
Numerous New Yorkers were displaced temporarily, and the hurricane caused an estimated $19 billion in damages.
Manhattan Sinking: Rising Concerns
A year ago, it was reported by scientists from the University of Rhode Island and the U.S. Geological Survey, the sinking of Manhattan is a consequence of the thousands of skyscrapers and high-rise structures. These contribute to the rising sea levels and future flooding risk.
The ascent and descent of the water are unavoidable phenomena. Eventually, those two levels will intersect, according to AP News’ chief researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey, Tom Parsons.
This supports the NPCC report’s forecast of a 14% rise in yearly average precipitation by 2050 and 22% by 2080.
Amy Chester, managing director of resilience group Rebuild By Design, told The City, “This is a tremendous problem.”
Storm surges and high tides caused more flooding in certain Manhattan neighbourhoods this month, Chester said. She noted a two-foot rise in the sea level, “even if it’s the lowest [estimate]—it wouldn’t even be overtopping. It would simply be topped 100 percent of the time.”
Sea Level Rise.org reports that implementing “sea level rise solutions,” such as elevating highways, repairing drainage, and constructing seawalls, is costing the state of New York over $4 billion due to the rising tides.
Klaus Jacob, a geophysicist from Columbia University and former member of the NPCC, told The City that New York City is “making progress, but it’s a snail’s pace compared to the rate of change in the climate and weather, which is a rabbit’s pace.”
Climate Changes: Adaptation Urgency
“The magnitude and direction of the changes are relatively constant,” said Luis Ortiz, a climate scientist and George Mason University professor who contributed to the report.
“Things are expected to become relatively wetter and hotter…” We must adapt and prepare immediately to be ready for those changes.
The projection made by the NPCC is consistent with the cautionary statement made by environmental scientists in the late 1980s. Wherein they anticipated a one to four-foot rise in sea levels near New York City by 2050.
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In 1988, scientist Jim Hansen testified before Congress regarding the greenhouse effect.
And told The New York Times, “Global warming has progressed to the point where a cause-and-effect relationship between the greenhouse effect and observed warming can be ascribed with a high degree of confidence.”
“It is currently occurring,” he further stated.
Hansen predicted that rising sea levels would flood parts of New York City by 2021 in 2001.
Hansen stated then that “the West Side Highway [which runs along the Hudson River] will be submerged.”
“As a result of the high winds, there will also be tape across the windows across the street,” he continued. Even so, those animals will not be present. “The trees that line the median strip will undergo a transformation.”
