The Issues Facing Waterfront Cities
Metropolitan New York- New Jersey- Long Island areas at risk of storm surge and sea level rise consequences. This area stretches North from the Bronx and northen part of Manhattan, east to the North and South Shores of Long Island, west to Hoboken and Jersey City, and south to Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
Sea Level Rise
Sea level rise is a long, slow process that has been occuring for the past 20,000 years since the Ice Age! As the world has developed new technologies and industrialized, global warming has increased, causing glacial ice in the Arctic and Antarctic to melt drastically. As this sea ice melts, the ocean expands as more solar heat is absorbed. This oceanic expanison is a cause for concern, as extreme flooding will eventually become a reality for unprotected waterfront cities.
New York City is at risk of sea level rise flooding, shown above, with the potential for
Storm Surge Flooding
Storm surges and intense flooding are direct consequences of extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, nor'easters, and superstorms. Hurricanes originate in the tropics, while nor'easters develop in the arctic. Although hurricanes are often much shorter than nor'easter storms, they are both destructive forces of nature that occur suddenly, leaving little time for preparation before they arrive.
Picture Credit: National Geographic Society; Geography in the News: Storm Surge Threats