Record-Breaking Flooding- A Harbinger for Boston (and all coastal areas)

Flooding at Christopher Columbus Park during nor’easter Riley in March 2018.

The flooding from strong storms that hit Boston is a harbinger of storms to come in the future as the climate continues to warm.
 
An article in the Boston Globe noted that a "record-breaking storm in January brought Boston the tallest high tide since 1921 and distributed over a foot of water in parts of Downtown, Dorchester, South Boston and East Boston. Since then, Boston has experienced two more intense nor’easters, and all Boston is looking at vulnerability to flooding as a coastal New England city with waterfront, rivers and more intense storms."

Flooding on Atlantic Avenue during the January 4th storm.

SEA LEVELS RISING- According to NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Sea level has been rising over the past century, and the rate has increased in recent decades. In 2016, global sea level was 3.2 inches (82 mm) above the 1993 average—the highest annual average in the satellite record (1993-present). Sea level continues to rise at a rate of just over one-eighth of an inch (3.4 mm) per year, due to a combination of melting glaciers and ice sheets, and thermal expansion of seawater as it warms.

WHY SEA LEVEL MATTERS - 

In the United States, almost 40% of the population lives in relatively high population-density coastal areas, where sea level plays a role in flooding, shoreline erosion, and hazards from storms. Globally, 8 of the world’s 10 largest cities are near a coast, according to the U.N. Atlas of the Oceans.

For more information about sea level rise: https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-sea-level




Boston City Council is having hearings about how to deal with these floods: https://northendwaterfront.com/2018/03/city-council-hearing-on-flooding-brings-together-city-groups-to-discuss-strategies-solutions/