Record King Tides, Doubled Rate Of Sea-Level Rise Still Not Enough For Some In WA Govt.
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At the Port of Tacoma, the king tides on Dec. 15-17 undercut a sidewalk and parking area just a few feet from the corner of the port administration building. The same tides ate away fence post footings and undermined a light pole transformer and a fire hydrant on the Blair Waterway, forcing port officials to make emergency repairs.
Port spokesman Tara Mattina readily admits the port has done no projections with regard to sea-level rise and has taken no actions other than cleaning and repair, even though much of the ports property and critical transportation infrastructure are covered with red ink indicating flooding potential on every sea-level projection map produced by climate scientists.
The port has not taken on the issue head-on, Mattina said. This needs to be policy-driven, and at this point that hasnt happened. Uncertainties in climate projections make planning difficult, Mattina said. For example, a National Academy of Sciences report issued last summer and currently regarded as the latest and best word on sea level rise on the West Coast, projected a 2-foot sea level rise in Washington State by 2100.
However, the range of possibilities for 2100 in the report extends from just 4 inches all the way to 56 inches, based on a complex array of interacting factors. How much is enough? Mattina asked. How strong is strong enough? How certain is it? Those questions havent been answered yet.
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http://www.theolympian.com/2013/01/20/2391109/as-tides-creep-up-some-just-look.html