STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — At the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Bergen Point West Reach tidal gauge on Staten Island’s North Shore, up to 13 days of high tide flooding are expected this year, a rise from an average three days annually in the 2000s and five days in the 2010s.
By the 2050s, a conservative estimate predicts there will be 59 days a year where the daily high tide causes flooding. The higher-end possibility indicates that total could reach 123 days, threatening coastal infrastructure and homes.
Staten Island’s coastal flooding — a persistent problem along the borough’s shoreline — is hardly unique. Eight locations on the United States’ East and West coasts experienced record high tide flooding last year, federal officials announced, a problem exacerbated by sea level rise driven by human-induced climate change and an established El Niño weather pattern.
“Communities across the country are seeing more and more high tide flooding, with damaging effects to transportation systems and infrastructure — particularly in our most underserved communities,” said Jainey Bavishi, assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA deputy administrator, in a release. “With sea level rise and a strong El Nino, NOAA’s forecasts are a critical resource for our nation’s communities as they plan and take proactive action to build their climate resilience.”
U.S. tidal gauges operate on a vast network, providing real-time data to scientists tracking long-term patterns and short-term influxes in sea level. The main gauge for New York City, The Battery, has been operating for more than 150 years.
High tide flooding typically occurs when sea level is between one to two feet above the daily average tide, depending on individual locations. An increasing frequency of high-tide flooding can both trigger dangers in isolation and worsen the impacts of storms, experts told the Advance/SILive.com.
Visual models generated by the…
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