CFE agenda 081417 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

US. GIoball CI °Harm^ wean,::[° IPirogirarrr 114 Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States Sea-level rise and the likely increase in hurricane and associated storm, surge will b among consequences of climate fi„ An increase in average sea level of up to 2 feet or more and the likelihood of increased hurricane intensity and associated storm surge are likely to be among the most costly consequences of cli- mate change for this region (see National Climate Change section). As sea level rises, coastal shore- lines will retreat. Wetlands will be inundated and eroded away, and low -lying areas including some communities will be inundated more frequently — some permanently — by the advancing sea. Current buildings and infrastructure were not designed to withstand the intensity of the projected storm surge, which would cause catastrophic damage. As temperature increases and rainfall patterns change, Miles u.JSGS:,v, soil moisture and runoff to the coast are likely to be more variable. The salinity of estuaries, coastal wetlands, and tidal rivers is likely to increase in the southeastern coastal zone, thereby altering coastal ecosystems and displacing them farther inland if no barriers exist. More frequent storm surge flooding and permanent inundation of coastal ecosystems and communities is likely in some low -lying areas, particularly along the central Gulf Coast where the land surface is sinking."',39' Rapid acceleration in the rate of increase in sea -level rise could threaten a large portion of the Southeast coastal zone. The likelihood of a catastrophic increase in the rate of sea -level rise is dependent upon ice sheet response to warming, which is the subject of much scientific uncertainty (see Global Climate Change section)." Such rapid rise in sea level is likely to result in the destruction of barrier islands and wetlands. 257,390