Minor coastal flooding increases as sea levels rise

Ars Technica : Over the past century, seawater levels around the continental US and Hawaii have been steadily rising, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In its recent report , NOAA notes that among the consequences of sea-level rise is the ever-increasing number of minor coastal flooding events during high tide. Such “nuisance” flooding can cause a number of longer-term problems, including road closures and infrastructure deterioration. Sea-level rise has been attributed to global warming, which melts land-based ice and heats up the oceans, causing them to expand. Because sea-level rise has been slow, it is easy to ignore. Nuisance floods, however, are a better indicator that the climate is changing: Over the past 50 years, the number of nuisance floods in Annapolis, Maryland, has risen by 925%, and in San Francisco by 370%. Further troubling news is the fact that nuisance floods are going to continue to increase in frequency even if the rate of sea-level rise were to remain stable.