"For Years, Warnings That It Could Happen Here" By DAVID W. CHEN and MIREYA NAVARRO at the NYTimes

[applegrove]

For Years, Warnings That It Could Happen Here

By DAVID W. CHEN and MIREYA NAVARRO at the NYTimes

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/31/nyregion/for-years-warnings-that-storm-damage-could-ravage-new-york.html?smid=re-share

"SNIP.............................................

The Cuomo administration plans talks with city and federal officials about how to proceed. The task could be daunting, given fiscal realities: storm surge barriers, the huge sea gates that some scientists say would be the best protection against floods, could cost as much as $10 billion.

But many experts say, given what happened with the latest storm, that inertia could be more expensive.

After rising roughly an inch per decade in the last century, coastal waters in New York are expected to climb as fast as six inches per decade, or two feet by midcentury, according to a city-appointed scientific panel. That much more water means the city’s flood risk zones could expand in size.

"Look, the city is extremely vulnerable to damaging storm surges just for its geography, and climate change is increasing that risk," said Ben Strauss, director of the sea level rise program at the research group Climate Central in Princeton, N.J. “Three of the top 10 highest floods at the Battery since 1900 happened in the last two and a half years. If that’s not a wake-up call to take this seriously, I don’t know what is."

..............................................SNIP"

[Ilsa]

1. VP Al Gore said this would happen

in his documentary. But RWers laughed at him.

[uppityperson]

2. I just don't understand why people live in these places where something like this happens.

I mean, REALLY!!!1111 I'm SERIES!!!1111


just in case

[jsmirman]

3. I am really encouraged to hear Cuomo and other waking up to this, though

As a New Yorker, I've been pounding the table on this for years.

I knew this was pretty likely to happen at some point soon.

We need to be the "New Amsterdam," and I was very excited to hear Cuomo use that exact terminology, which is how I've been describing the need for some time.