sea level rise

A research paper, coauthored by a scientist from the United States Geological Survey, indicates that coastal cities worldwide are subsiding under their own weight. Models show NYC sinking at a rate of 1-4 millimeters/year, parts of Delaware at up to 10 millimeters/year, and more drastically Jakarta, Indonesia sinking at a rate of nearly a foot/year. This is due to multiple factors: extraction of groundwater, composition of underlying soils, and the incredible weight of the built environment. Of course, this is occurring as sea levels are rising which increases flood risk.

What will it cost to protect the Bay Area from sea level rise? Try $110 billion, says state agency. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission have collaborated to develop a cost estimate for adapting to rising sea level in the SF Bay Region. It will not be inexpensive, but the cost of doing nothing is much more. (John King, SF Chronicle)

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Bay Conservation and Development Commission have collaborated to develop a cost estimate for adapting to rising sea level in the SF Bay Region. It will not be inexpensive, but the cost of doing nothing is much more. (John King, SF Chronicle)

A recent article in SFGate highlights the findings from a recent report from CalTrans, predicting that State Route 37 will be permanently underwater by the end of 2040 if significant adaptive measures are not taken.

The latest tool from Climate Central displays just how drastically sea level rise is going to affect cities worldwide.

Picturing Our Future provides a prescient vision of the impacts of keeping business-as-usual with our current GHG emissions, as well as scenarios with drastic cutbacks. 

An article in SFGate highlights the risks that climate change-induced hazards pose to the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system. In 2019, BART experienced massive systemwide delays due to mechanical problems on a very hot summer day.

A recent interactive article in NPR highlights the threat that rising sea levels are posing to Facebook and Google's multi-billion dollar Silicon Valley campuses, which both companies are continuing to expand.

An interactive article in the San Francisco Chronicle today highlights the North Bay's State Route 37, perhaps the stretch of highway in the Bay Area most threatened by rising sea levels. SR 37 is bellwether for the costly and complex issues the region will face as sea level rise, combined with high tides, already threatens to flood the roadways and nearby farms.

A recent article in KQED News showcases East Palo Alto's community-led efforts to adapt to climate change. The town of 30,000 is one of the most vulnerable localities to rising sea levels in the Bay Area; two-thirds of the city could experience regular flooding within a decade and high-tide inundation by mid-century. East Palo Alto is also a community of color, with a 66% Latino population and a significant number of Pacific Islanders, some of whom previously fled rising seas in the South Pacific.

Stinson Beach is launching a multi-year effort to create a sea level rise adaptation plan, as reported by the Marin Independent Journal. The plan would determine how and when the community, which is the most threatened on the Marin ocean coastline, can protect itself against sea levels that could rise by up to 10 feet by the end of the century. The plan would be completed in 2024 and include a list of potential projects and funding options.