What if Superstorm Sandy had been worse?
On the one-year anniversary of Sandy, that’s something a lot of people have wondered. And make no mistake: it could have been worse.
An excellent story on Grist by Greg Hanscom explores this question, and answers it using the latest mapping tools from Conservancy scientists.
“What will it look like when the Big One hits? Well, thanks to a new interactive mapping tool put together by the Nature Conservancy, we can get a pretty good idea. The tool, which draws data from federal and state agencies, allows you to map different coastal flooding scenarios based on storms of different severity.”
The article compares Superstorm Sandy with a future bigger storm, and how climate change can increase the impacts. It includes excellent graphics showing just what could happen under various storm scenarios.
It’s an excellent review of how Conservancy science is making a big difference in helping build communities more resilient to storms, hurricanes and climate change.
And as Hanscom writes: “If these models are right, it’s going to get wetter before it gets better.”