High-tide floods are not caused by the weather but by the twice monthly alignment of the Earth, sun and moon. But as climate change causes sea levels to rise, high tide floods — sometimes called nuisance floods or sunny-day floods because they can happen on clear days — are likely to inundate more coastal neighborhoods across the five boroughs. By 2050, Lower Manhattan could see 85 days of high-tide flooding annually, a fivefold increase. By the end of this century, 600,000 city residents could be affected by regular tidal flooding, according to the New York City Comptroller’s office. “Tidal flooding is a pretty significant existential climate threat,” said Louise Yeung, the chief climate officer for the comptroller’s office.

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Persons: ”, Louise Yeung Organizations: New Locations: Queens, Jamaica, Lower Manhattan, New York City