3.6 - New York Flashcards
1
Q
How high was the death toll of Hurricane Sandy in NY?
A
53
2
Q
How high was the coastal flooding of Hurricane Sandy?
A
14ft
3
Q
What affect did Hurricane Sandy have on infrastructure?
A
- NY Subway tunnels were flooded
- 4000ft of Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was flooded
- Hospitals were left without power
- total damage estimated to be $32bn
4
Q
How fast were the winds in Hurricane Sandy?
A
90mph
5
Q
Why is New York physically vulnerable to flooding?
A
- New York Bight funnels water into New York
- Water around Long Island is shallow, tidal surge is deeper
- Manhattan sits on soft sediment, is sinking as buildings compact sediment
- 3-4 inches of subsidence per century due to isostatic rebound
- only 10m above sea level
6
Q
What is the predicted SLR in NY by 2050?
A
14-15 inches
7
Q
What are the human factors making NY more vulnerable to flooding?
A
- NY buildings and bridges are large and heavy
- Rate of groundwater extraction is increasing, increases rate of subsidence
8
Q
How much of the US population lives in New York?
A
12%
9
Q
What human activities in general can endanger coasts?
A
- River straightening, sediment is pushed further offshore, no protection of beach
- Mangrove deforestation
10
Q
How useful are mangroves for protecting coasts?
A
- reduce wave height by 40%
- stabilise sediment
- halve heights of storm surges
11
Q
Why can deltas be bad?
A
- Deposition of material on delta can lead to crustal sagging
- delta subsides
- isostatic SLR
