Severe Storms And Sea Level Rise In New York City

摘要

With a population of over eight million people, many billions of dollars in property at stake, and hundreds of miles of shoreline, New York City is particularly vulnerable to the threat of hurricanes and powerful coastal storms (Figure 1). In spite of its mid-latitude location (～41 °N), New York City and the surrounding region have experienced numerous hurricanes, some of which have produced serious damage and loss of life. Future rising sea levels associated with global warming are another cause for concern. Not only would the city be threatened by higher floods associated with hurricanes and other coastal storms, but the interval between floods of a given elevation could drop sharply (Gornitz, 2001).