Rising sea levels a cause for concern
Harvey, Maria, Katrina, Sandy, Florence and now the boy Michael is on a rampage causing destruction and perhaps changing forever our vulnerable coastline. Katrina sank much of New Orleans, Harvey did its work on Houston, Maria destroyed much of Puerto Rico and Sandy created a whole new landscape in New York and New Jersey.
With rising sea levels, all of these coastal areas are becoming increasingly at risk to widespread destruction from each passing storm. In the past decade, sea level rises are becoming noticeable as large areas of the Arctic begin to melt and add more water to our oceans.
Recent storms seem to be stronger as there is more energy in the atmosphere in the form of heat from the increase in our earth鈥檚 temperatures. If you are looking at ocean property, you may want to think twice about it as this trend looks to continue.
Some coastal areas are actually seeing a bit of price lowering to the most vulnerable properties along the ocean itself due to their nearness to the water and risk of storm surge damage. Perhaps one day, the taxpayers may even put a halt to the madness of the flood insurance program, which allows continued building of homes in swamps and marshes that have been drained and filled over the years.
The madness of coastal development all began in 1850 when congress passed the Swamp Land Act, which gave states the right to sell federal wetlands to individuals. The funds from these sales were to be used for drainage and level building and eventually a vast network of agriculturally productive farms.
Instead a speculative frenzy began, reshaping wetlands across the country.
A recent book by Elizabeth Rush titled 鈥淩ising鈥� discusses the rising seas and their impact on our coastal areas.
States from Maine to Florida all have problems. Even the West coast has problems and we must remember that San Francisco is largely built on landfill and is very susceptible to flooding and earthquakes.
Florida, our flattest state, has 22 million acres of marsh. Most of the state is less than 15 feet above sea level. Fifty nine percent of the state was turned over to developers as a result of the Swamp Land Act.
The city of Miami quickly spread westward through the swamps and today is pushed right up against The Everglades. 1,600 miles of canals, levees and pumping stations make the Everglades the largest water control project in the country, allowing multi-billion dollar industries for sugar, citrus and tourism.
In recent years, the Everglades have come under great pressure from continued development on the Gulf side of Florida.
As the seas rise, they allow salt water to infiltrate the marshes and trouble is brewing as swamp vegetation dies back allowing peat collapse to take place.
This is happening not only in Florida, but through Louisiana and up the east coast all the way to Maine.
The mangroves are migrating inland and many of the Jamaican dogwood, stoppers and buttonwoods are starting to brown and die.
These trees like a mix of fresh and brackish water and the amount of salt entering the aquifer is on the rise.
The large gangly pink birds called spoonbills are also under pressure from the rising waters. They feed for fish in just a few inches of water and this environment is disappearing.
Congress still has not drained the swamp in Washington D.C. and look at what is happening.
Perhaps it鈥檚 time to get serious about what and how much climate change is going to cost and quit kicking the can down the road.
The road is under water and we need action now.