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Photo by: Phillip Flores on Unsplash

Flooding Erosion

Many coastal communities have been built on Crashing waves hitting higher on the shoreline will
floodplains . Floodplains are low-lying areas that are cause increased erosion . Coastal bluffs will crumble
naturally inundated from time to time . With increas- at greater frequency than they had previously .
ing extreme rainfall events coupled with higher sea Shorelines that have hard armour, like riprap and
levels, flooding will occur more often . Flooding will seawalls, may be undercut causing them to fail .
also occur as a result of storm surges . Storm surge In many locations, accelerated erosion may damage
occurs when stormy weather pushes tidal levels culturally important places, threaten structures and
higher — resulting in crashing waves hitting above impact intertidal habitats .
the normal intertidal zone . This will be especially
dangerous and damaging when storm surge occurs
during high ‘king’ tides . In developed areas, there
are often buildings and other infrastructure built in
coastal areas that will be affected .

Strong winds can create larger waves

when there is a large fetch (the distance Photo by: Mitch Miller
waves are able to travel across open

water without intercepting islands or
other land masses). Greater fetch over
longer distances increases wave

intensity causing a greater threat
of coastal flooding.

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