The New York City Panel on Climate Change released a report today with a number of unsettling projections for the coming century. For starters, the city is going to get hotter—temperatures are expected to rise 4.1 to 5.7 degrees from the current average of 54 degrees by the 2050s, and could be up as much as 8.8 degrees by the 2080s. There will be an increase in heat waves (five to seven a year, compared to the two we have currently) and a significant rise in days over 90 and 100 degrees. In addition to being hotter, it's also going to be a lot rainier, with mean annual precipitation increasing by 4 to 11 percent by the '50s and 5 to 13 percent by the '80s. Combine that with sea levels that are expected to rise 11 to 21 inches by the '50s, 18 to 39 inches by the '80s, and 22 to 50 inches by 2100, and New York City will be at risk from frequent floods. Queens will bear the brunt of it, followed by Brooklyn, Staten Island, the Bronx, and Manhattan
More on New York City's apocalyptic future:
Will Your Neighborhood Survive the Apocalyptic Floods?
A Proposal To Protect Manhattan With Trash-Filled Containers
How NYC Will Prepare for More Residents In the Floodplain
The Statue of Liberty Could Look Like This After Seas Rise
The current administration is attempting to deal with this impending threat by allotting $335 million for a flood protection system for the Lower East Side, $100 million for upgrades to the shorelines in Coney Island and Staten Island, building levees in Staten Island and dunes in Breezy Point, adding 4.15 million cubic feet of sand to city beaches, and coating buildings with reflective paint to absorb less heat.
· New Climate Change Study Calls For Urgent Action To Prepare NYC [Gothamist]
· Climate change could bring higher temperatures, much higher sea levels, and more flooding to city: report [NYDN]
· New York in 2080: 9 Degrees Warmer, 39 Inches of Sea Level Rise [City Lab]
· Rising Sea Levels and Temperatures Ahead for NYC: Report [NYO]
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