2018/19 State of U.S. High Tide Flooding with a 2019/2020 Outlook
Abstract
A key aspect of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) sea level science and services is monitoring, tracking, mapping and projecting changes in high tide flooding (HTF) along U.S. coastlines. HTF is the most noticeable impact from relative sea level increases. Such an effort is growing in significance as coastal communities seek updated authoritative information to plan and prepare for impacts that are occurring now. When HTF is expected to occur, NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) issues coastal flood advisories to alert the public and local emergency managers of probable impacts. HTF currently threatens over 2,700 square miles within the coastal zone within dozens of major U.S. coastal cities.
In 2018/2019 alone, HTF impacts were reported to be degrading functionalities of storm and waste water systems and flooding U.S. East Coast roads, disrupting both commutes and commerce. The national rate of HTF flooding has doubled since 2000 with annual rates at over 40 locations accelerating. In 2018/2019, 12 individual locations tied or broke their historical HTF records and seven NWS offices issued a record-number of coastal flood advisories. In 2019/2020, due in part to possible El Nino like conditions, which increase HTF rates and continued relative sea level rise, some U.S. coastal regions are expected to experience HTF rates that are >150% greater than typically experienced in 2000. By 2050, the rate of HTF along U.S. coastlines is expected to continue to rapidly climb, increasing by a factor of 5 to 15 higher than today considering likely increases in relative sea levels.- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2019
- Bibcode:
- 2019AGUFMOS21A..04S
- Keywords:
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- 1641 Sea level change;
- GLOBAL CHANGE;
- 4217 Coastal processes;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL;
- 4262 Ocean observing systems;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL;
- 4556 Sea level: variations and mean;
- OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL