Thursday, October 9, 2014

Expected flooding didn't happen with King tides...

Click title for link to a Sun-Sentinel article about how abnormally high tides in October turned out to be less than expected this year. Such tides are expected to become more frequent with sea level rise. Infrastructure is now in place to address the issue, for now. From the article:
Coastal areas that are frequently swamped during seasonal high tides braced for the worst Wednesday.
But most low-lying trouble spots either were dry or had only minor flooding. The reason: The pumps and special valves to stem the flooding did their job, and the tides weren't as high as initially predicted, officials said.
The worst flooding appeared to be at the Delray Beach Marina Historic District, where a few inches of sea water accumulated on Marine Way — without the help of any rain.
"There were fish swimming in the street," said John Morgan, the city's sustainability officer. He said the city plans to install flex valves on drain pipes to prevent flooding in the future.
The full moon, seasonal high tides and rising sea levels all conspire to pull ocean water onto dry land.