Looking north from FDR Drive in the Lower East Side, image by Beth Carey (CC BY 2.0) And pretty quickly politicians began talking about climate change. Scientists have calculated that 83,000 more people were flooded out because of sea level rise than would have been otherwise. And the devastation it caused can be traced in part to global warming. Hurricane Sandy took the lives of over 100 people in the United States and caused around 50 billion dollars in damages. As Paul Greenberg, author of American Catch, explains that “nothing acquaints you with your city’s topography like living it in the eye of a hurricane and feeling that water flow up and rise up and start to swallow the city.” Flooded Avenue C in the East Village, image by David Shankbone (CC BY 3.0) As the waters rose, the distinction between low and high ground suddenly became very apparent. Seawater poured into the streets, flooding out apartment buildings and filling the subway tunnels. Carey Tunnel during Hurricane Sandy, image by Jay Fine (CC BY 2.0) The storm surge inundated neighborhoods throughout the city. When Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, New Yorkers were forced to confront their proximity to the ocean. South Manhattan, image by Townie (CC BY-SA 2.0) But just a few blocks away, there are docks, and sea gulls, and ferry boats ready to take you island hopping. Standing on the sidewalk in Manhattan’s financial district in the shadows of glass skyscrapers, it is easy to forget how close you are to the water.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |