Is New York City sinking?

How skyscrapers are causing the Big Apple to subside. One of the key consequences of global warming, rising sea levels tend to affect certain communities more than others. In particular, coastal cities such as New York are increasingly feeling the impending threat of floods and storm surges. However, recent research suggests that it is not only rising sea levels that New Yorkers need to worry about when it comes to their changing environment. In fact, the unfathomable collective weight of the city’s skyscrapers could actually be causing it to sink.

High-risk areas for global warming

When it comes to global warming, certain areas of the world are at higher risk than others of suffering the consequences. Coastal cities, for example, are under an ever-increasing threat of flooding and storm surges. https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0fty0f0/is-new-york-really-sinking-

Hurricane Sandy

In 2012, New York City suffered considerable damage when Hurricane Sandy flooded large parts of the city and caused widespread blackouts.

Hurricane Ida

Then, in 2021, more than a dozen New Yorkers lost their lives when they were unable to escape their basements that had been flooded by Hurricane Ida.

The city of New York is under an increased threat of flooding for two main reasons. Firstly, there is the ongoing problem of rising sea levels. Statistics –

According to The Guardian, the seawater that surrounds New York City has risen by around 9 inches (22 cm) since 1950. Predictions –

Moreover, it is predicted that major flooding events as the result of storms could be up to four times more frequent by the end of the 21st century. Varying degrees of risk –

As a result, the population of New York City, which is almost nine million, faces varying degrees of risk of flooding. Those who live within or directly adjacent to the floodplain face the greatest risk.

The city has already implemented some protective measures to try to mitigate this risk, such as building seawalls, raising roads, and creating artificial barriers.