NASA’s article about Rising Sea Levels reveals some startling conclusions. The agency’s ongoing climate studies measure causes and effects of this global predicament. The article gives insight into the causes of global sea level rise. Coastal communities need to be building their mitigation systems as they are already experiencing increased tidal flooding events.
The Chesapeake Bay region is one such case. The land is sinking due to natural causes, while global sea levels are rising on average 3.3 mm (0.13”) per year. Annapolis has reported a record 18 days of high-tide flooding from May 2019 to April 2020. The average prior to 2005 was 2 days a year.
“You can build walls, you can add inflow preventers and you can protect areas that are worth protecting, but eventually, water’s going to find its way through the holes. You’re not really meant to hold back the tides.”
~ NOAA oceanographer William Sweet