New research from UNH confirms something anyone in Hampton, N.H., or Scituate, Mass., or along the Jersey Shore has experienced first-hand: High tide floods, or so-called “nuisance flooding,” are occurring far more frequently than ever before. In fact, this flooding along shore roadways during seasonal high tides or minor wind events has increased a whopping 90 percent over the past 20 years along the East Coast, resulting in impassable roads, delays and disrupted transportation of goods and services.
And it’s likely to get much worse.
“This could be just the beginning of impact on these areas,” says Jennifer Jacobs, professor of civil and environmental engineering and lead author of the study, published in the journal Transportation Research Record. “With the continued rise in sea levels, nuisance flood frequency is projected to grow and the effect on the physical roads and the people that live along the coastline is concerning.”
