City leaders in San Rafael, California, are considering a nearly $2 billion plan to remake their Canal District, after a massive king tide flooded parts of Marin County earlier this year — all without rainfall.
What’s happening?
On Jan. 3, an extremely high king tide sent seawater rushing into streets and homes across low-lying areas of Marin County, including the low-lying Canal District, according to CBS News.
City-commissioned consultants presented three major options to reduce flood risk. The most controversial would involve removing roughly 550 homes, raising the land, and redeveloping the shoreline at an estimated cost of $2 billion, according to CBS News, with other plans around increasing flood walls costing about $720 million.
Officials say the Canal District is especially vulnerable because the land has been slowly sinking for decades, creating a basin effect where higher tides can overwhelm the neighborhood…