Sea Level Rise Add At Least 23 Minutes of Commute for People in Coastal US

Sea level rise is one of the manifestations of climate change and global warming, as scientists have warned in recent years. Amid the threat of coastal flooding in different parts of the world, the warming of the planet has led to an unprecedented retreat of sea ice, as well as glaciers and icebergs.

This ice melt phenomenon contributes to the rise of water levels, with low-lying coastal communities being at threat the most, including the East Coast of the United States.

Earlier this year, experts found that rising sea levels are occurring faster than we have previously thought. Now, a study suggests that tidal flooding caused by rising ocean waters is adding at least 23 minutes of commute time for people in the Coastal US, especially those living in the state of Florida, it was reported on Saturday, October 7.

While there has been a recurring general theme on the impact of the current climate crisis, the study focuses on the micro-level scale of its repercussions to communities.

Sea Level Rise Affects US Commute

In a scientific paper published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, researchers used the city of Miami, Florida, as a case study to determine the daily impact of climate change-induced sea level rise and tidal flooding to commuters of the city. The research team's conclusion is determined by combining data such as tidal gauge, road network, worker location, and elevation with a 'route optimization algorithm.'

The said algorithm aims to model how coastal flooding affected the commute times of Miami residents during periods from 2002 to 2004 and 2015 to 2017. In its initial results, the study shows that tidal flooding has increased the annual commute time by 15 minutes on average and even 274 minutes in "most heavily impacted areas."

In the coastal US, this extreme natural phenomenon has added an average of at least 23 minutes of commute time for people using public transport over the course of a year. This delay could further be increased by the year 2060 due to sea level rise, with the study's leading author Mathew Hauer saying "it's a delay that is already occurring."

US Coastline Under Threat

In its '2022 Sea Level Rise Technical Report', the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) stated that sea level along the US coastline is expected to elevate, on average, by 10 to 12 inches (0.25 to 0.30 meters) in the next 30 years from 2020 to 2050. This figure is even larger than the previous sea level rise measured over the last century from 1920 to 2020, according to the report.

While there is a general sea level rise in the waters surrounding the US, the NOAA explains that ocean level rise will vary per region along the US coasts due to changes in both land and ocean height. This means that low-lying areas along the western and eastern coasts of the country may become more vulnerable to coastal flooding or erosion.