Archive · 13 Jun 2025
Climate Change Fuels Coastal Destruction: Bigger Waves and Tides
Imagine the ocean is getting bigger and stronger, like a bully.
The Santa Cruz Wharf got broken because the waves got too big.
The ocean is rising slowly, but big waves and high tides are making things worse, even without hurricanes.
Scientists say the waves are getting bigger, and high tides are causing more floods.
This means buildings and roads near the coast are in danger.
We need to fix these problems to protect the coast.
Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf partially collapsed due to large waves.
Climate change is causing larger waves and higher tides, leading to increased coastal damage.
Sea levels have risen approximately 8-9 inches since 1880, accelerating since the early 1990s.
Higher seas amplify the impact of larger waves and high tides, increasing flood risks.
Infrastructure is at risk and government funding cuts are hindering efforts to mitigate damage.
- Who
- Coastal communities and infrastructure are affected.
- What
- Coastal infrastructure damage due to large waves and high tides amplified by climate change.
- When
- Damage is ongoing, with accelerated impacts since the 1990s.
- Where
- Coastal cities, specifically Santa Cruz.
- Why
- Climate change is causing rising sea levels and larger, more powerful waves, leading to increased coastal damage and flooding.
Climate Change Mitigation
Climate Change Skepticism
Funding & Government Response
Climate Change Mitigation
Emphasize and fund efforts to address climate change effects on coastal infrastructure
Climate Change Skepticism
Cuts to FEMA grants, ignoring or minimizing disaster impacts
- Sea Level Rise (since 1880)
- 8-9 inches
- Wave Power Increase (1948-2008)
- 0.47% per year
- Wave Power Increase (1994-2017)
- 2.3% per year
- High-tide flooding increase (Gulf Coast)
- 1,100% since 2000
- Infrastructure at Risk (2020)
- More than 900 critical assets in the US at risk of flooding at least twice a year