Report: Flood zone will cover fourth of NYC by 2050s

5:59 p.m. EDT June 10, 2013


A flock of Geese fly past the smokestacks at the Jeffrey Energy Center coal power plant as the suns sets near Emmett, Kan. Worldwide levels of the chief greenhouse gas that causes global warming have hit a milestone. A new report says global warming will cause a quarter of New York City to become a flood zone.(Photo: Charlie Riedel, AP)
Story Highlights


  • Projections show a fourth of NYC could become flood zone
  • Top aides to Mayor Michael Bloomberg discussed the findings
  • About 800,000 NYC residents could be living in that region



NEW YORK (AP) — New York City officials say new projections show a flood zone will cover a quarter of the city's land by the 2050s as rising seas and other effects of global warming take hold.
Two top aides to Mayor Michael Bloomberg discussed the findings Monday. Bloomberg is scheduled to present recommendations Tuesday for dealing with climate risks.
The projections by a panel of scientists say 800,000 New York City residents could be living in that flood zone. And 8 percent of the city's coastline could flood just from high tides.
Some of the new projections move up estimates made in 2009 from the end of this century to the middle.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/06/10/flood-zone-nyc/2409805/