Across the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic, our coastline is still recovering from the recent Nor’easter. Sand was stripped away from beaches, winds blew at speeds up to 90 mph, and most towns across the coast experienced heavy precipitation and flooding. Cars sunk underwater and homes went without power for days. What is a Nor’easter? What led to massive flooding in areas like Long Island and the Sound? How can we save our coastlines? Let’s take a closer look and understand what is happening at the forefront of storms.
I’m Camille Goodman from SHU’s Discovery Science Center and Planetarium, and this is Discovery Deep Dive.
Hurricane season occurs from mid-August to mid-October. The major factor creating Hurricanes is warm air from the Pacific Ocean that moves towards the Atlantic Ocean. At the same time, evaporation of water due to the warm air helps to make a spiral of water and air. When this cyclone moves from the northeast into coastal regions, scientists call that a Nor’easter. The reason why this Nor’easter was more catastrophic than usual is because of that warm wind moving in and the increased amounts of evaporation. According to NBC news, over 100,000 customers were without power across the Northeast region to the Mid-Atlantic.
Long Island experienced the hardest hit of the storm. Why? Long island is along a floodplain, and it is a high-risk coast flood zone. In addition, Long Island is surrounded by the sound on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Having two sources of water so nearby creates more damage for this coastal area. Storm surge, which increases water that sits on top of the high tide, is amplified due to the wind. This creates stronger surfing waves that strip the beaches of sand which can lead to houses collapsing. The total damage in Long Island was anywhere between $10 billion to 13 billion according to AccuWeather.
There are some steps you can take to mitigate the damage caused by Nor’easters like this one. Invest in policymakers who have an interest in saving our coastlines. Most beaches in this area conduct Beach Nourishments, where sand that was eroded away is brought back to the beach. This is a more nature-based solution to combat coastal erosion. Familiarize yourself with the FEMA flooding guidelines on how you can stay safe during a major storm, what building regulations are, and look up your residence to see if you live in a high-risk zone. Lastly, you can learn about ways to mitigate flooding by adding rain barrels and rain gardens at your residence!
