High-Tide Flooding
The Art
HIGH-TIDE FLOODING
The Science
What’s Alarming
“The figure shows the annual number of days experiencing high tide floods based on observations for 1960-2016 for Fort Pulaski, near Savannah, Georgia and projected increases in the number of annual flood events based on four future scenarios…Global sea level is very likely to rise by 0.3-0.6 feet by 2030, 0.5-1.2 feet by 2050, and 1.0-4.3 feet by 2100 under a range of scenarios…global sea level rise exceeding 8 feet (and even higher in the Southeast) by 2100 cannot be ruled out. By 2050, many Southeast cities are projected to experience more than 30 days of high tide flooding regardless of scenario. In addition, more extreme coastal flood events are also projected to increase in frequency and duration…The combined impacts of sea level rise and storm surge in the Southeast have the potential to cost up to $60 billion each year in 2050 and up to $99 billion in 2090 under a higher scenario. Even under a lower scenario …projected damages are $56 and $79 billion in 2050 and 2090, respectively…”
