It no longer takes a storm to cause flooding in many coastal areas of the United States. Galveston, Texas could eventually face floods more than half the days of the year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently released updated predictions that show rising flood risks in Galveston, reports Emily Foxhall in a paywalled article for the Houston Chronicle.
According to the new projections, “High tides could flood Galveston streets as many as 210 days a year by 2050, compared with as many as 17 days in 2022,” reports Foxhall.
“The expected number of high-tide flood days in Galveston’s is nearly the worst of any coastal spot in the country because this region suffers from land that’s sinking in addition to sea levels that are rising,” adds Foxhall.
William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer, is quoted in the article saying the need to build sea-level-rise-resilient infrastructure is already present in Galveston. “The city of Galveston is spending millions to build pump stations to push water back out to the bay when the tide is up. But projects of this nature take time,” writes Foxhall.
FULL STORY: Galveston could flood 210 days of the year by 2050, a new NOAA prediction shows
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