Coastal Floods Flashcards
____% of people live near the ocean
80%
Salt water floods can happen on ________
Any coast
The flood risk is _____
Increasing
The Earth is coming out of an ______
Ice Age
As glaciers melt and add water to the ocean, sea level:
Rises around the world
____ mud erodes easily, especially when cut into for shipping channels
Delta
Most vulnerable to coastal flooding
Delta
Deltas also ____ and _____
Compact and Sink
Half of New Orleans sits _________ due to subsidence
Below sea level
Are low-lying piles of loose sand, constantly moved by waves and tides
Barrier Islands
There is usually a marsh or swamp between them and the mainland
Barrier Islands
Rising seas move the ___
Sand
__________ can gradually push the island toward land
Beach erosion
_____ can wash away large parts of the island
Hurricanes
The Sun and Moon sometimes pull together to make very high tides
King Tides (Sunny Day Floods)
Can flood cities for days, damaging buildings, roads, and utilities
King Tides (Sunny Day Floods)
Have been getting much more frequent
Sunny Day or Nuisance Floods
Strong storms like hurricanes create a bulge near the coast
Storm Surges
Often does more damage than wind or rain
Storm Surges
Underwater earthquakes create ocean ‘shock waves’
Tsunamis
Coastal cities need to get ready for:
A future with constant floods