Rebuilding in Shore Areas

The question of rebuilding in shore areas that are essentially sand bars or were wetlands should not be embarked on with a bravado that “We will remake it just as it was” as a political stance.  We must remember that warning people about sea level rise or severe storms that were supposed to become more likely over a century has little impact.  But in planning a new house or building that is supposed to last 60 to a hundred years, this should be a primary consideration.

I am reminded of driving around the Hawaiian islands, where shores are subject to hurricanes and tsunamis, new houses are built on stilts that have the height of a first floor.  This space is used as a car port, storage area, and maybe indoor recreation area.  The supports are strong enough and deep enough to take a flood or storm surge.  Also, in the Jersey shore, several houses were just washed off of their foundation, which are still in place.  Clearly they have to be secured better, but should still have stilts, and perhaps a reinforced storm wall toward the ocean.

Another question is the prime property in lower Manhattan.   Skyscrapers are built like ships, with deep basements which are surrounded with water proof barriers that act like the sides of ships.  Climate change experts have been warning for years that at less than 10 feet above water line, these would be inadequate to cover the sea level rise of the next century.  One report was that with full moon high tide, the storm surge was over fourteen feet.  Clearly renewed barriers have to be provided, and required for new buildings.

Furthermore, modern business is done by computers over large distances these days.  After all, quants work out of Connecticut, and private equity firms like PIMCO are also located in California, not to mention all those on the Cayman Islands.  Many even wonder why there are still traders on the market floor.  Clearly, parts of the lower Manhattan business community could be moved to other parts of the city, or dispersed, without major disruption.  This would also remove the terrorist target problem of that area.

Again, what the long range increased flooding threat implies is that band aids will not suffice, but serious long range changes should begin now.

About Dennis SILVERMAN

I am a retired Professor of Physics and Astronomy at U C Irvine. For two decades I have been active in learning about energy and the environment, and in reporting on those topics for a decade. For the last four years I have added science policy. Lately, I have been reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic of our times.
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