Source::AP
OCEAN CITY,
Ocean City, New Jersey is officially a “dry” town. In 1879, four Methodist ministers established a Christian seaside resort here with a permanent ban on the manufacture and sale of alcohol — a prohibition that remains to this day. But numerous times a year, Ocean City is among the wettest dry towns you’ll ever see.
The city of more than 11,000 year-round residents that calls itself “America’s Greatest Family Resort” and draws throngs of vacationers from Philadelphia and its suburbs is dealing with the costs of sea level rise, both monetarily and in disruptions to daily life.
“Every year it gets worse, more frequent and deeper flooding,” she said. “There are times we can’t get in or out of our houses. We have to arrange doctor appointments and grocery shopping around tides. It’s part of living here.” None of this is unique to Ocean City. It’s a common refrain among coastal residents around the country who find themselves living nearer to the water than they once did. And it’s expensive.
Boston thinks it will need $2.4 billion over the next few decades to stay dry. Charleston, South Carolina calculated it needs at least $2 billion in drainage projects. And federal engineers have recommended a $1.4 billion sea wall to protect just part of Norfolk, Virginia’s coast. Nationwide, the Center for Climate Integrity and Resilient Analytics predicts it will cost $400 billion over the next 20 years to protect vulnerable coastal communities in 22 states.
A barrier island with the ocean on one side and the Great Egg Harbor Bay on the other, Ocean City has been dealing with flooding for years. But it recently intensified an island-wide effort to improve drainage. That includes laying more drain pipes, building additional pumping stations, elevating roadways and sidewalks, and repairing bulkheads.
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