Tag Archives: flooding

Vanishing Glaciers, Rising Seas, and More Street Flooding in Low-Lying New York City Neighborhoods

Posted on October 1, 2019 by Philip Orton

A guest post by Dr. Vivien Gornitz   The Okjokull glacier in Iceland is no more. In 2014, Oddur Sigurosson, a prominent Icelandic glaciologist, declared that the remnant ice was too thin to qualify as a glacier. A plaque erected … Continue reading →

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Repetitive Flooding Coming with Winter Storm Riley

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Philip Orton

Low-lying areas of the NYC Metro area should expect coastal flooding over multiple high tides Friday through Sunday, due to Winter Storm Riley’s winds coinciding with the month’s highest tides.  The forecast for coastal areas is significantly worse than for NY/NJ … Continue reading →

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Investing in NOAA Ocean and Atmospheric Research

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Philip Orton

The Washington Post reported Friday that the Trump Administration is seeking huge cuts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 2018 budget, including eliminating the Sea Grant Program and shaving 26% from the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research … Continue reading →

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Nor’easter Jonas Evening Forecast Addendum

Posted on January 21, 2016 by SeaAndSkyNY

Additional details on the New York / New Jersey Metro Area Getting it right with “minor” versus “moderate” flooding is particularly important when there is ice and freezing temperatures, as NOAA’s definitions (see below) suggest some evacuation may be needed … Continue reading →

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Chances of Overtopping the Proposed Staten Island Levees

Posted on August 16, 2015 by Philip Orton

I was interviewed the other day for a 5-minute radio news clip and written article by Matthew Schuerman of WNYC, on the Corps of Engineers plans for protecting Staten Island’s low-lying southeastern neighborhoods from flooding.  A big question was whether the Corps’ planning … Continue reading →

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Coastal Flood and Wave Forecast for the Blizzard

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Philip Orton

In a prior post, I laid out the dangers of combined ice, snow and storm surge flooding.  It is a potentially catastrophic risk, as exemplified by the Blizzard of ’78 in New England.  But fortunately, it’s very rare and perhaps … Continue reading →

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Why I Am Marching for Climate

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Philip Orton

On Sunday at noon, many thousands of concerned citizens will be marching to the United Nations in Manhattan to protest the lack of progress to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions, with the 2013 rate at its fastest rate ever.  Each year, believe … Continue reading →

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Resilience Concepts Behind Living Breakwaters

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Philip Orton

I was asked by an intern at City Atlas, Travis Gonzales, to answer his well-posed questions on our winning Rebuild By Design entry, Living Breakwaters, and here is that Q&A, which I think gets addresses some important aspects of the concept. … Continue reading →

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HUD Rebuild By Design: Plans for the Future Coast

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Philip Orton

I am honored to be part of a well-constructed, diverse-minded team for the HUD (federal Housing and Urban Development) post-Sandy “Rebuild By Design” competition, one of 10 successful teams of about 150 that applied.  The team was built and is … Continue reading →

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Next Mayor: Continue to Lead on Climate

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Philip Orton

This is an Op-Ed published in the New York Times Room for Debate forum .  It was solicited by the RfD editor, with the topic being “transportation challenges for the next mayor”. It was eventually published under a somewhat different debate topic, … Continue reading →

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