Galveston, Texas, has defied the odds since its inception, facing the ebbs and flows of the Gulf of Mexico's tides to build a community on the water. But an influx of climate-related natural disasters will test the city like never before.
What's happening?
For Galveston residents, the notion of racing against time — and tides — is merely a fact of life. Over the past several decades, the city has embarked on several multimillion-dollar federally funded projects to construct a sea barrier wall, reinforce sand dunes, and even raise the ground floor of entire neighborhoods.
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But now, scientists and officials are warning that the threats fueled by rising global temperatures will outpace the city's ability to fortify itself. Yet it seems few people take these warnings seriously, the Washington Post reported.
In fact, in Galveston, there are major proposed beachside developments moving forward in an area that has repeatedly seen erosion, flooding, and sea level rise at a rate that outpaces the rest of the country.
Why is this so concerning?
The developers' attitude of optimism bordering on denial has many concerned.
"I don't think people really understand what's coming," the Post quoted Randall Parkinson, a geologist with Florida International University. "It's nothing anybody has ever experienced."
The rapid acceleration of these weather events — from stronger hurricanes to increased precipitation and flood risk — is directly tied to the planet's rising temperatures. And those, Parkinson explained, are not expected to slow down anytime soon.
Not only do these events endanger communities like Galveston, which draw in many tourists who may be even more unaware of the threat, they also drive up insurance costs and require millions of dollars in taxpayer money each year to rebuild and refortify their vulnerable coastlines.
And this isn't unique to Texas. Coastal communities in Maine, Florida, California, and many other states are grappling with the difficult balance of investing in resilience versus relocating.
And with changes continuing to accelerate, more and more people will face the question in the coming decades.
What's being done?
The Post quoted Bill Merrell, a professor at Texas A&M at Galveston, who said that "the world has got itself in a fix."
To preserve their barrier island's homes, economies, and communities, they have no choice but to "defend the coast."
And while much of this work, like rebuilding beaches and sand dunes after storms, is reactive, others are looking for ways to be proactive, too.
For example, the city plans to install water pumps in certain low-lying neighborhoods to minimize flooding and avoid raising the entire neighborhood, which would be much more expensive.
Other groups are experimenting with more resilient building materials designed to withstand extreme weather, such as floating homes and absorbent "spongy" rooftops that can help capture excess rainwater.
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