One California county is already feeling the costly effects of sea-level rise, as severe flooding spread across the area in early January.
What’s happening?
As reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Marin County began the new year with intense rainfall across the region, leading to damaging storm surge, king tides, and severe flooding. As a result, the county issued an emergency proclamation in order to seek financial assistance from the California Office of Emergency Services.
While the damage from the recent strong storms is estimated to be more than $4 million, local officials fear that future impacts could become even more costly as sea levels continue to rise.
According to a recent study from the Transportation Authority of Marin, the county could see up to 2 feet of sea level rise by the end of the century. To protect Marin County’s shoreline from encroaching waters, experts determined that it will cost an estimated $17 billion to complete various sea-level rise resilience projects…