New York City had warnings that, given a strong enough storm, parts of the city faced serious flooding. Superstorm Sandy made those predictions come true.
Now, city officials and the federal government are talking about what they can do to prevent that sort of flooding in the future. Climate researchers project that sea levels will rise substantially in coming decades and storms could become more severe as ocean waters get warmer. In other words, New York City — and many other coastal communities, for that matter — is at risk of future coastal flooding, just like the kind that’s wreaking havoc in Manhattan.
Climate change is real and its effects, existing and predicted, need to be addressed. Yes, there are costs associated with adapting to the changes. A New York Times article says that a storm surge barrier to protect New York City could cost in excess of $10 billion.
But there are costs to inaction as well. State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli estimates that Sandy could result in $15 billion to $18 billion worth of “economic loss” for New York. And that’s just from one storm in one year. The true cost won’t be known for a while.
This article appears in Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2012.
It’s just human nature to ignore a warning so long as somebody else gets stuck with the cost and risk.
Stop subsidizing and bailing out people in flood zones, and they’ll learn quick enough.
To j.a.m. – With global warming NYC is becoming a flood zone. So then your logic would say Don’t assist anyone and they will all eventually move away! I hope you have room for about 20 million people in your neck of the woods! Somehow if that were to happen I know your taxes would go up and you would be footing the bill anyway. Simple?
@Aldo: People can live wherever they please, so long as it’s on their nickel and they bear the risk — especially easily foreseeable risks.
There’s no shortage of space to accommodate those who prudently relocate inland. And the great thing about warming predictions, should they pan out, is that the vast reaches north of the border finally will become habitable—and worth the trouble of annexing.
Like my dad always says, Rochester will come out on top in the end!! Once NYC and the rest of the East Coast floods, everyone will be clamoring to move Upstate, and we can tell them to take their bagels and thin-crust pizza and float away on them!! Or they can move here and we can finally fill in some of those vacant lots around upstate cities, either way we win!