New York City Panel on Climate Change 2015 Report Chapter 2: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Storms

New York City’s low-lying areas are home to a large population, critical infrastructure, and iconic natural, economic and cultural resources. These areas are currently exposed to coastal flooding by warm-season tropical storms such as Hurricane Sandy (Box 2.1) and cold-season nor’easters. Sea level rise increases the frequency and intensity of coastal flooding. For example, the \~{}12 inches of sea level rise in New York City since 1900 may have expanded Hurricane Sandy’s flood area by approximately 25 square miles, flooding the homes of more than 80,000 additional people in New York and New Jersey alone (Climate Central 2013, as reported in Miller et al., 2013; see also Chapter 3, NPCC, 2015). This chapter presents an overview of observed sea level rise and coastal storms for the New York metropolitan region, sea level rise projection methods and results, coastal storm projections, and recommendations for future research.