Storm Surge
August 28, 2015
Copyright 2015 Kevin P. Mick Photography. All rights reserved.
Barring any additional need, this will be the last post regarding the anniversary of Katrina. That being said, Tropical Storm Erika is churning in the Caribbean and has killed at least 4 people in Dominica. While her impact on the U.S. has yet to be determined, and the current prediction does not have Erika becoming a hurricane, Florida has already declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm. Such declarations and emergency preparedness are a legacy of Katrina.
The peaceful tranquility of the sunrise over the water depicted above is from one of the marinas in Baltimore, Md-specifically, Fells Point. This is a nice place to sit, drink a cup of coffee, and watch the morning unfold. It is also here as a reminder that if such a storm surge as occurred with Katrina came up the Chesapeake, this area, and the rest of Baltimore’s upscale Inner Harbour, would be under water. Hurricanes have caused flooding and damage in the city before, and such an event becomes even more likely as the oceans continue to rise as a result of climate change. The increasing sea levels and warming water temperatures that lead to stronger storms factor into yet another of Katrina’s legacies. As Louisiana drained and developed the coastal wetlands, the natural means by which to absorb storm surge was eliminated. The Baltimore City area has no such wetlands to begin with and the built environ literally meets the water, as described in this article from 1997.
It certainly is, however, a nice place to greet a calm, relatively cool, summer day.
Take care.
