Flooding From Storm "Melissa" Is Worrying Sign Of Future Trouble

Flooding in Annapolis, Maryland on Saturday due
to offshore Tropical Storm Melissa and sea level
rise. Photo by Elly Tierney via the Baltimore Sun

A storm that turned into Subtropical Storm Melissa and then Tropical Storm Melissa has been spinning off the East Coast of the United States for the past week.

During this time, the strong winds from the storm have been pushing water into the shore, causing some coastal flooding from Maine to Florida.

The flooding wasn't super destructive, as floods go, but it was in the way, and caused damage, and was a general nuisance.

This is another ominous example of the rising number of so-called "nuisance" floods along the coast, brought on in large part by yes, climate change.

One disconcerting thing about this Melissa thing is that this wasn't exactly "Storm of the Century" spinning out there. It was powerful, but nothing that out of the ordinary.

True, it was there for an unusually long time, which meant the storm had a long chance to keep piling water up against the East Coast.

Also true was a high pressure system to the north of Melissa - the one that brought most of us here in Vermont some spectacular fall weather - also helped steer water and waves against the coast.

So those were contributing factors. But really. A strong but not all that unusual storm causing such flooding bodes poorly for the future. Especially since astronomical tides this week were pretty low. If there had been a full or new moon during Melissa, there would have been even bigger trouble.

This flooding wasn't just making for narrow beaches and wet ground underfoot. Some people had to be rescued from homes in flood prone coastal Sea Bright, New Jersey, NBC Philadelphia reported.

By Saturday, as Melissa was finally getting ready to depart, the moon was much closer to full, so that, in combination of the storm, sent ocean water into downtown Annapolis, Maryland, says the Baltimore Sun.

The Charlotte Observer says that on Cape Hatteras, waves trapped cars on Route 12, which had to be closed, and caused flooding in Avon, Buxton and other towns on Cape Hatteras.

Splashover and some flooding was reported in coastal New England, too.

All this is going to get worse in the future as sea levels continue to rise. Already, in places like Miami, when astronomical tides are high, there is some flooding even when there is no storm anywhere near Florida.

Along parts of the East Coast, this is double trouble because not only is the sea level rising, but land is sinking due to natural processes.

The East Coast, of course, has always had coastal flooding, battering waves and erosion from storms. Those nor'easters and hurricanes will always keep happening. But as time goes by and sea levels keep going up, those nor'easters and other storms will have more and more power to cause worse and worse coastal flooding because the ocean is higher to begin with, even before the storm.

The destruction will be especially bad when we get the inevitable super storm, like the extreme New England hurricanes of 1815 and 1938;  the Ash Wednesday super nor'easter of 1962 or the Perfect Storm from 1991.

As lovely as large swaths of the East Coast can be, I'm certainly not going to invest in oceanfront property.  I have to wonder about insurance, the economy and survival of coastal communities will be like in coming decades.