Extreme Weather

A storm surge event at Fort McHenry breaches the sea wall, damaging the dock and washing debris onto the lawn.

NPS

Climate Change effects on Storm Surge

Climate change is causing storm events to become more frequent and more severe. The high winds and precipitation brought by these storms can cause damage to the historic sites, roads, paths and waterways that make up the trail. In coastal areas these events create a storm surge, where low air pressure, rain input and constant winds all combine to create a much higher than average sea level, resulting in severe coastal flooding. This effect is compounded by sea level rise [link back to SLR page], the higher the default water level is the higher the resulting storm surge will be. For example, in 2003 the storm surge from Hurricane Isabel reached a maximum of 8 feet (2.4m) on the Chesapeake Bay, if the sea levels were those projected for 2100 we could expect storm surges between 9.2ft - 11.5ft (2.8m-3.5m). Source

The force of water crashing onto surfaces can cause structural damage and cause long-term water damage in areas that would otherwise remain dry. Storm surge threatens not only infrastructure but unique cultural landmarks and breach exhibits & collections where irreplaceable artifacts are stored. Unlike species, cultural resources are incapable of migration, nor are they capable of natural regeneration. They are unique in their history and distinct in their significance, once they are damaged or lost they cannot be recovered without significant effort.

 

With increased droughts, more and more locations will begin to become so barren that areas will look deserted from plants and animals.

USGS

Climate change and large-scale natural disasters

With increasing global surface temperatures, the possibility of more droughts and increased intensity of storms will likely occur. As more water vapor is evaporated into the atmosphere it becomes fuel for more powerful storms to develop. More heat in the atmosphere and warmer ocean surface temperatures can lead to increased wind speeds in tropical storms. Rising sea levels expose higher locations not usually subjected to the power of the sea and to the erosive forces of waves and currents. (Source)