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Articles on Coastal flooding

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A woman cries inside her flooded house in Huarmay, a coastal region of Peru, which in 2017 saw its worst flooding in 20 years. Ernesto Arias/EPA

Three times more people at risk from yearly coastal flooding than previously thought – new research

Hundreds of millions more people will now be at risk from rising seas in the coming decades - with Asia and island nations most vulnerable. How we react to the climate crisis is now even more crucial.
Surf threatens beach houses on Dauphin Island, Alabama, September 4, 2011 during Tropical Storm Lee. AP Photo/Dave Martin

Why are Atlantic and Gulf coast property owners building back bigger after hurricanes?

‘Building back better’ refers to making communities more disaster-proof and resilient after they take a hit. But instead, some US owners are building back bigger homes in vulnerable places.
Underwater view of waves breaking over a healthy coral reef, reducing wave energy at the shoreline that can cause flooding. Curt Storlazzi, USGS

Coral reefs provide flood protection worth $1.8 billion every year – it’s time to protect them

A new report shows that coral reefs reduce damage from floods across the United States and its trust territories by more than $1.8 billion every year – and pinpoints that value state by state.
Flooding in Sydney last week was the latest example of Australian cities’ lack of resilience to a more extreme climate. Dean Lewins/AAP

Design for flooding: how cities can make room for water

Australia’s coastal settlements are highly exposed to the impacts of climate change. Climate-resilient urban landscapes that can cope with large amounts of water need to become the new normal.
Protecting coastal wetlands, like this slough in Florida’s Everglades National Park, is a cost-effective way to reduce flooding and storm damage. NPS/C. Rivas

Protecting wetlands helps communities reduce damage from hurricanes and storms

Coastal development is destroying marshes, mangroves and other wetlands that provide valuable protection from hurricanes and storms. Research shows these benefits can be worth millions of dollars.
A woman gets back into her flooded car on the Toronto Indy course on Lakeshore Boulevard in Toronto on July 8, 2013. Housing developers are building housing on known flood plains in cities around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

Building housing on flood plains another sign of growing inequality

Cities around the world, including Toronto, are building housing on flood plains knowing the risks in the era of climate change. Here’s why that will contribute to growing inequality in our cities.
King tides now regularly breach seawalls meant to protect Torres Strait Island communities, and it happened again last week. Suzanne Long/AAP

King tides and rising seas are predictable, and we’re not doing enough about it

King tides and rising seas are an increasing and predictable threat, but adaptation plans to limit the damage to coastal property are still not managing the political obstacles.
A motorist drives through “nuisance flooding” in Charleston, SC, Oct. 1, 2015. AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton

An X-factor in coastal flooding: Natural climate patterns create hot spots of rapid sea level rise

Climate change is raising global sea levels. Now research shows that ‘hot spots’ where seas rise another 4 to 5 inches in five years can occur along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, further magnifying floods.
Coastal wetlands are an effective first line of defense and act by slowing down storm surges and reducing flooding. Kelly Fike/USFWS

As communities rebuild after hurricanes, study shows wetlands can significantly reduce property damage

New research by scholars, conservationists and the insurance industry shows that coastal wetlands provide hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of protection from flooding, boosting the case for protecting them.

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