Masses of water flow down the stairs into the subway stations, collect on the rails and form narrow streams there. On the streets, buses try to make their way through the flood. Occasionally, passengers stand in their seats while the water below them fills the entire floor knee-high. It is the heaviest rain in New York on record. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who briefly declared a state of emergency on Thursday night, speaks of “brutal flooding”.
The images from the city are reminiscent of the devastating hurricane “Sandy”, which devastated large parts of New York in 2012 and killed almost 70 people. Even then, it became clear how vulnerable the metropolis, which is located on two large rivers, is to extreme events. Events that are increasing due to climate change. Storms, which can draw their energy from ever warmer oceans, hit coastal cities like New York with ever increasing force. At the same time, the sea level continues to rise. According to experts, the water level could rise by 1.80 meters by 2100 – with corresponding consequences for New York. The official forecasts assume that around 37 percent of the buildings on Manhattan’s southern tip will be threatened by storm surges in 2050. 50 years later, 20 percent of the streets there could be flooded every day.
New York plans action
The city officials are also aware that the problem is urgent. For years, politicians and experts have been concerned with the question of how they can protect the city from the masses of water. The city has already invested billions of dollars to protect power grids and other infrastructure such as subways and port facilities from flooding. On the Rockaways peninsula in the borough of Queens and on Staten Island, over 15 kilometers of artificial sand dunes have already been created to reinforce the coastline. In other areas, such as Brooklyn and near Wall Street, the city has set up sand-filled containers to act as temporary barriers against flooding.
However, New York is also pursuing far more ambitious projects. Construction work on East River Park began in the spring. In order to protect the facility from flooding and rising sea levels, the park will first be demolished and then rebuilt. But then it should be just under two and a half meters higher than before. The project, which has already been resisted, is slated to be completed in 2025. 13 years after Hurricane Sandy.
The plans of the Army Corps of Engineers, which have been considering for years how the greater New York area can be better protected in the future, go even further. The plan presented by the US military engineers almost a year ago envisages building a gigantic lock system far out off the coast. When a storm approaches, the weir systems built on artificial islands between Rockaways and New Jersey close and keep the water out.
According to army experts, the huge lock system would reduce the risk of flooding by 92 percent. Environmental experts warn, however, that the barriers include sewage and toxins and could thus endanger the water quality in the bays upstream from New York. They also fear that the systems will endanger maritime ecosystems and influence currents, for example. It is also still unclear who will pay for the $ 120 billion project. The city would have to bear the costs together with the states of New York and New Jersey and the federal government.
Will it soon be obsolete?
It is also estimated that the project would take 25 years to build. A period of time in which the barrier could prove to be obsolete again if the sea level should rise more than expected. There are ideas for faster and cheaper measures such as renaturation projects near the shore. However, cost, time and benefit remain critical variables here too.
–
