As climate gets warmer, more humid; NJ towns flooding more frequently
More frequent flooding and rising sea levels put New Jersey’s coastal community in harm’s way more often than before, and its residents are taking notice. In the wake of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, our partners at NJTV News speak to Tom Herrington, associate director of Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, who sees strong signals of climate shift in New Jersey.
THIS IS A PROBLEM SINCE 1903.
HE IS DEEPLY ANNOYED, THE PASSAIC RIVER QUIETLY INVADED
HIS BACKYARD IN FAIRFIELD AGAIN AS WEEKEND RAINS PUSHED THE
RIVER A FOOT OVER FLOOD STAGE.
HE HAS LIVED HERE 51 YEARS.
WHENEVER IT RAINS, YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED IT
WON'T BE A MONSOON.
WHEN YOU HAVE A FLOOD, EVERYBODY IS UP IN ARMS.
WHEN THE SUN COMES OUT THE NEXT DAY, THEY FORGET ABOUT IT.
WHENEVER WE HAVE SUCCESSIVE RAINS, OR EVEN SNOWMELT, THE
WATER HAS NOWHERE TO GO BECAUSE THE WATER THE GROUND IS
SATURATED.
IT WILL BE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE RIVER RECEIVES FROM RALPH'S
YARD.
HE IS RELIEVED IT IS NOT WORSE.
OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS- IS GETTING MORE FREQUENT.
THE WORST EVENT WE HAD WAS TROPICAL STORM IRENE IN 2011.
I HAD FOUR FEET OF WATER IN THE HOUSE.
WE ARE EDGING TOWARD THIS BEING THE WETTEST NOVEMBER ON RECORD
STATEWIDE WITH RECORDS BACK TO 1895.
WE HAVE HAD SIX TO NINE INCHES OF RAIN IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF
THE STATE THIS MONTH.
THAT IS 2 TO 3 TIMES NORMAL.
WITH THAT, YOU WILL HAVE THE RIVERS STAYING HIGH, SO THE NEXT
RAINSTORM CAN FLOOD THAT MUCH MORE EASILY.
WE HAVEN'T REBOUNDED FROM THE PREVIOUS RAINSTORM.
STATE CLIMATOLOGIST DAVID ROBINSON CALLS SUMMER
FLASHLIGHTS, LIKE THE ONE THAT CARRIED OFF CARS IN LITTLE
FALLS, EXTREME EVENTS.
HE SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE CREATES A WARMER, MOISTER ATMOSPHERE.
JERSEY HAS GOTTEN WARMER OVER THE PAST COUPLE DECADES AND 2018
COULD RANK AMONG THE STATES TOP FIVE WETTEST YEARS.
NINE OF THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF THE YEAR HAD HAVE --HAVE HAD
ABOVE AVERAGE PRECIPITATION AND THREE OF THEM RANKED IN THE TOP
10 OVER A CENTURY.
THE RECENT RAINFALL MADE YESTERDAY'S HIGH TITLE FLOODING
ALONG THE SHORE EVEN WORSE, ACCORDING TO TOM HARRINGTON.
OUR COASTAL COMMUNITIES HAVE A DOUBLE WHAMMY, IF YOU WILL,
BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPOSED TO INCREASED SEA LEVEL.
THAT ADDED SEA LEVEL DOESN'T ALLOW THE STREETS TO DRAIN WHEN
THEY HAVE HEAVY RAIN FALLS.
LIKE WE HAVE HAD OVER THE PAST COUPLE DAYS.
THEY ALSO GET FLOODING WHEN THERE IS NO RAINFALL AT ALL.
THAT WILL JUST GET WORSE AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE.
HARRINGTON SEES STRONG SIGNALS OF CLIMATE SHIFT IN NEW JERSEY
AND GLOBALLY, AS OUTLINED IN THE FOURTH NATIONAL CLIMATE
ASSESSMENT RELEASED LAST FRIDAY BY THE WHITE HOUSE.
IT PREDICTED DEVASTATING ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THE PRESIDENTS REACTION- I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
NO, NO I DON'T BELIEVE IT.
HOW DO YOU CONVINCE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T BELIEVE IN CLIMATE
CHANGE?
THEY HAVE TO BE AFFECTED BY IT.
THIS FAMILY KNOWS THE DESTRUCTIVE POWER OF FLOODS.
THEY HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOME TWICE IN 1984 AND
2011.
BOTH TIMES BY BOAT.
IN FAIRFIELD, BRENDA FLANAGAN, NJTV NEWS.