Friday, November 17, 2023

A 40 foot rise in Sea level would put several miles of houses near me underwater

 Luckily, I thought about this before we purchased our home in 1999. However, between our house on a little hill about 400 to 500 feet higher than sea level are many homes well below 40 feet above sea level. This last winter on the California coast logs and trees were thrown up onto coastal paved roads and rocks 50 to 100 pounds or more were thrown through wooden fences onto paved roads as well. For example, parts of some golf courses also were underwater from larger waves last year too. Also, first the wind peeled back the ice plant that is a succulent that lives near the ocean especially on fog and cooler wetter air. But, when the 15 atmospheric Rivers that hit between December of 2022 and April of 2023 hit after the winds blew back the ice plant from the ground and onto roads the rains then washed the topsoil that the ice plant was sitting into into the ocean. So, what was left was mostly rocks last winter because in winter often most of the sandy beaches wash away in storms and then they replenish themselves between June and October or November until the next windy rainy season often hits between January and March or April. So, if the seas rise 40 feet billions of dollars of homes and golf courses and other properties will be underwater some or all of the year whenever the 40 feet rise hits.

However, I'm very aware of how much higher the average sea level is because when you Have a King Tide (the highest tide of the year) combined with a huge Atmospheric River it can bring the ocean about 10 to 20 feet closer to going inland than in normal times. 

Also, if winds are strong enough out of the North West we sometimes can get 35 foot waves hitting from northwest seas too. I have seen surfers pulled with Jet skis into these waves to surf them. But, also with 35 foot waves often some homes near the ocean get seaweed and more deposited on their front porches as well as scattering it all over the paved roads in front of those houses.

So, all over the world on oceans everything is changing pretty fast because all the main oceans are interconnected so when the ocean rises one place it also rises all places where oceans are on earth as well.

I know that for example, Louisiana and other states are pretty flat. One way to understand what a 40 foot rise in Sea level would be to assess where 40 feet above sea level would be in places like Louisiana and Florida. For example, in Florida, for example, even the very highest point in Florida is 345 Feet so you can see that with a 40 foot rise in Sea level most of Florida is going to be under water. Miami at high tide in many areas is already underwater to the point where certain paved roads cannot be driven on safely.

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