A popular coastal community home to some of the widest beaches on the East Coast is falling victim to the effects of our overheating planet, as sea level rise contributes to worsening "sunny day flooding."
What's happening?
Wildwood, New Jersey, offers free access to its wide, beautiful beaches. The town's iconic two-mile-long boardwalk is another popular attraction that draws in thousands of visitors.
The way of life for those who live along this scenic stretch of the East Coast shoreline is being threatened as our warming world melts glaciers and ice sheets, raising sea levels along our country's coasts, reported Inside Climate News.
"Sunny day" flooding is becoming more common. The paradoxical-sounding name for this phenomenon refers to flooding during high tides, even in the absence of any storms that might produce heavy rainfall.
"High tide flooding, sometimes referred to as nuisance flooding, sunny-day flooding, or king tide flooding, is occurring more frequently every year as sea levels continue to rise, and is increasingly disrupting coastal community life," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office for Coastal Management (OCM).
Peter "PJ" Hondros, who holds a degree in environmental science and hosts a Facebook page dedicated to documenting coastal flooding in Wildwood, is concerned about what the future holds for the town.
"This is something that's chronic and getting worse — and not going away," Hondros told Inside Climate News. In his view, sea level rise "is arguably the most important topic" impacting this stretch of shoreline in New Jersey, the country's most crowded state.
"It's going to be interesting to see what the next 25 or 50 years have in store," he added.
Why is sunny day flooding important?
High tide flooding days have surged by more than 400% to 1,100% in the U.S. Southeast Atlantic and Gulf Coast regions since 2000, according to the OCM. High-tide flooding now occurs more than twice as often in the U.S. as it did in 2000, driven by rising sea levels. By 2030, the typical frequency could grow two to three times more, and by 2050, it may happen 45 to 85 days annually, depending on location.
High-tide flooding is increasingly causing disruptions, even without rainfall. When coupled with coastal storms, which are often intensified by our overheating planet, higher water levels allow saltwater to intrude further inland, causing more damage to homes and infrastructure.
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Definitely 🙁 While there have always been extreme weather events, the climate crisis is making them more frequent and dangerous. Extended heat waves, stronger hurricanes, and frequent rising sea levels endanger communities and the environment.
What's being done about increasing high tide flooding?
Addressing rising sea levels will demand a sweeping move away from dirty energy sources to renewables, cutting the heat-trapping gases that are warming the planet and melting glaciers. Hopeful news was announced recently as a researcher developed a more efficient way to pull energy from the sun, even on cloudy days.
Powering your home with solar panels can not only keep the lights on during storms but also lower utility bills. By combining solar panels with energy storage, homeowners can stay powered through extreme weather. EnergySage connects you with trusted local installers and can mean big savings of up to $10,000.
Other ways to save money and protect the planet by reducing pollution include installing a heat pump to replace old HVAC systems and replacing conventional ranges with induction stoves.
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