by James Murphy
From the imaginative minds at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) comes a map predicting that several major U.S. cities could feel the effects of increased sea level rise by 2050.
NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer, an interactive map, predicts that many prominent cities may see sea-level rise of 10-12 inches, which could lead to flooding, should the United States fail to keep emissions down to hold off the worst effects of climate change.
According to NOAA, “The purpose of this map viewer is to provide federal, state, and local coastal resource managers and planners with a preliminary look at sea level rise and coastal flooding impacts. The viewer is a screening-level tool that uses best-available, nationally consistent data sets and analyses. Data and maps provided can be used at several scales to help estimate impacts and prioritize actions for different scenarios.”
Do Something
Cities such as Portland, Boston, Charleston, and San Diego are at risk of increased flooding, according to NOAA. Dr. William Sweet, an oceanographer for NOAA, told Newsweek that “episodic flooding could become extremely damaging and a major concern unless we do something.”
What, exactly, does “do something” mean? Is Sweet suggesting adaptation efforts such as sea walls or simply getting rid of all fossil fuels immediately?
It’s likely that the map simply represents more fearmongering, climate-change propaganda from a government agency intent on pushing the climate crisis narrative.
“Simple full moon tides, changes in prevailing winds in many locations cause what we call here at NOAA high tide flooding,” according to Sweet. “It could be sunny out, no storms, but a lot of the towns are starting to be affected by water in the streets, water coming up out of storm water systems, and pooling up in communities.
“And that’s going to happen more frequently, and that’s going to be by 2050 with about a foot of sea level rise,” Sweet added. “And a lot of these East and Gulf Coast communities, the type of flooding that’s occurring now, 5, 10 days per year or more in some of these communities, it’s going to become just that much deeper and more severe in terms of impacts.”
Increased Flooding
Sweet admits that cities are not in danger of disappearing underwater, but warns about an increased threat of flooding incidents.
“Instead of underwater referring to permanently underwater, it would be an increased frequency in these episodic flooding events that aren’t necessarily associated with a storm,” he said. “That’s the way the sea level rise story is going to play out.”
What makes these scenarios more likely to play out than James Hansen’s 1988 prediction that New York City would be underwater by 2018? Or that the low-lying Maldives would be in serious danger of seawater inundation by now? Or any of the scores of other failed prognostications made by climate zealots throughout the year?
Skeptical
Steve Milloy of JunkScience.com reminds us on X that it’s wise to be skeptical of claims by climate zealots.
“US East Coast cities to be underwater from rising sea levels by 2050? Here are some realities: 1. No apocalyptic climate prediction has ever come true. 2. Climate alarmists predicted in 1989 that New York City’s West Side Highway would be underwater by 2019. Nope. 3. NASA has admitted that much of the East and Gulf Coasts are sinking from: natural subsidence; groundwater and oil withdrawal; and other natural factors. 4. There is no evidence that emissions have warmed anything, melted any ice or raised sea level one iota.”
Sea-level rise has long been an arrow in the quiver of the climate alarmism movement. In 2006, Al Gore warned us in An Inconvenient Truth that the tiny island nation of Tuvalu was in imminent danger and that its residents would soon have to relocate or drown. But instead, the Pacific island nation continues to thrive, and it and other island nations continue to gain land mass.
