The threat of ocean temperatures warming and glaciers melting: things that make scientists more nervous than ever to think about how this would affect New York, especially the low-lying areas.
Robert Lee Hotz, a science columnist for the Wall Street Journal, reports that sea levels are rising faster than people originally thought they would. New York City’s planners are now looking into the future to see how the city can be adapted to the almost inevitable change, and what can be done now. One of the options being looked at is a storm surge or seawall, similar to those in other countries. Currently, the city has crews pumping 14-million gallons of water out of the subway system on a daily basis.
Hotz also reports the higher sea levels will also mean more hurricane activity as the ocean waters will be warm enough for these storms to thrive. However, some officials think it is too early to worry about any of the flooding dangers scientists are predicting.
The report ends with the following (emphasis added):
“For Mr. Aggarwala, any changes in climate are best countered by incremental adjustments as science and circumstances demand. ‘If we have to shut the stock exchange for a day because water is running down Wall Street, that’s not unprecedented,’ Mr. Aggarwala says. ‘A major snowstorm can do that. The key challenge is how quickly we can recover.’”
