Along the Coasts, Communities Gird for Rising Seas

State officials along the East and Gulf Coasts are pushing for projects worth billions of dollars to protect populous coastal regions from rising oceans and extreme weather. In Maine, Democrats are seeking a public vote on a $50 million bond to fund a steel waterfront infrastructure to protect against rising sea levels. Florida’s new Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, recently proposed investing $2.5 billion to protect the Everglades and the appointment of a chief science officer to address environmental concerns. Louisiana’s Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards pledged $55 million in state surplus and about $300 million in offshore oil revenue for coastal and levee improvements.

In Massachusetts—where a tidal surge last year pushed the water level at Boston Harbor to the highest ever recorded, causing flooding—Republican Gov. Charlie Baker proposed raising the tax on real-estate transfers by 50% in much of the state to generate more than $1 billion over the next decade. The funds would help local communities fortify infrastructure from sea walls to flood-control systems. The moves reflect a growing recognition by some lawmakers that communities aren’t sufficiently prepared for increasingly intense storms and weather events that scientists attribute to rising sea levels and other major weather events that many scientists attribute to climate change.

About a third of the U.S. population lived in coastline counties along the Atlantic or Pacific oceans or the Gulf of Mexico in 2016, according to the Census Bureau. The number of residents along the Atlantic and the Gulf rose 15% to 60 million in 2016 from 2000. Deadly storms that recently hit Texas, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and elsewhere highlight the risks. Major weather events cost more than $306 billion in 2017, breaking previous records, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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A January report by Moody’s Investors Service said many of the largest U.S. cities are hastening attempts to cope with increased flooding and other climate-related risks. More governments will issue debt to prepare, the report predicted. In some cases, previous debates over climate-change science are taking a back seat to concrete steps to combat severe weather.

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/along-the-coasts-communities-gird-for-rising-seas-11549209600 (paid subscription)