{"id":5375,"date":"2024-03-22T11:43:08","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T15:43:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wradrb.org\/?p=5375"},"modified":"2024-03-22T11:54:20","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T15:54:20","slug":"philadelphia-is-not-directly-next-to-the-oceanbut-still-floods-with-high-tides-how-and-why-does-this-happen-what-can-we-do-to-prevent-and-prepare-for-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wradrb.org\/philadelphia-is-not-directly-next-to-the-oceanbut-still-floods-with-high-tides-how-and-why-does-this-happen-what-can-we-do-to-prevent-and-prepare-for-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia floods with high tides. How does this happen? What can we do to prevent and prepare for it?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Angie Bacha<\/a> writes for Green Philly<\/a>‘s latest Eco-Explainer: What is Tidal flooding, and why does it happen in Philly? An excerpt from her excellent article below, with a link to the full article here<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angie Bacha (March 20, 2024)<\/em> – The National Weather Service issued a\u00a0Coastal Flood Advisory<\/a>\u00a0for Philadelphia and surrounding counties on February 5th. It had been a dry weekend, even sunny at times in the days prior. A flood warning for the city seemed out of the ordinary for these mild weather circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, Philadelphia is not immune to flooding on sunny days like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Road<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>What is tidal flooding?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Tidal flooding, also called high tide or sunny day flooding, occurs when high tides raise water levels in coastal or tidal waterways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the Delaware River bordering Philadelphia\u2019s east and the Schuylkill bordering the west are tidal rivers; their water levels rise and fall with those of the Atlantic Ocean, channeled through the Delaware Bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Future tidal flooding of the rivers will likely increase in frequency primarily due to two factors that are exacerbated by the climate crisis:\u00a0rising sea levels<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0stronger coastal storms<\/a>. As global sea levels rise, Philadelphia\u2019s Flood Risk Management Task Force reports that the sea levels around Philadelphia specifically have risen\u00a0approximately 12 inches<\/a>\u00a0over the past century. This number is \u201chigher than the global average by around eight inches due to land subsidence [sinking of land from underground earth removal] in our region.\u201d That, coupled with a Category 1 hurricane like Philadelphia has experienced in the past, could \u201csignificantly increase flooding impacts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How can we prevent and prepare for tidal flooding?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFlooding in Pennsylvania is the most frequent and damaging natural disaster that occurs throughout the Commonwealth,\u201d according to PA Flood Risk<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, information is accessible for both the public and public leaders to address tidal flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to stay updated on floods<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania have several resources available to stay informed about floods and stormwater preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n