Heavy flooding in the United States isn’t on track to stop any time soon.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, or NOAA, released a report Wednesday predicting that 2019 is on track to break annual flooding records, and it won’t stop there.
“Annual flood records are expected to be broken again next year and for years and decades to come,” the report said. “Tide gauges of the NOAA are measuring rapid increases in coastal flood risk along U.S. coastlines due to relative sea level rise.”
High-tide flooding is at its worst along the northeast Atlantic coasts because of a minor El Niño anticipated to last until early 2020.
The scientists found that 12 individual locations broke or tied their high-tide flooding levels, and 65 locations are significantly accelerating toward their records, “implying that impacts will soon become chronic without adaptation.”
The report added that flooding decades ago that only would have occurred amid powerful storms can now be spurred by a simple steady breeze or a change in coastal current.
“These impacts are nearly certain to get much worse this century.”
The NOAA also forecast high-tide flooding as far away as 2030 and 2050. Measured in days of flooding, with the average being five days, scientists predict an increase of seven to 15 days of flooding in 2030 and 25-75 days in 2050.
“Projecting out to 2030 and 2050 provides vital information for communities that are already taking adaptation steps to address coastal flooding impacts and those that are beginning to assess future flood risk in their communities.”
