Rivers Overflow

Future Flood Risks With climate change, the risk of coastal storm surges, intense rain, and high tides will increase. • Sea levels in NYC have already risen a foot over the last 100 years. • According to the New York City Panel on Climate Change, sea levels are expected to increase between 8 to 30 inches by the 2050s, and as much as 15 to 75 inches by the end of the century. • Sea level rise will lead to frequent, potentially daily, tidal inundation in some especially lowlying neighborhoods. This type of flooding causes less damage than extreme storms, but can be a nuisance and has significant long-term impacts on public safety and City services. Higher sea levels mean the future 1% annual chance flood will cover a larger area and affect more people. • By the 2050s, the number of people living in the 1% annual chance floodplain could more than double. • The annual chance of major storms will also increase. What is a 1% annual chance storm today will have nearly a 3% annual chance of occurring in the 2050s.