(Washington) Heavy flooding hit the eastern coast of the United States on Friday, including coastal areas around Washington, DC and Baltimore.
The US Weather Service (NWS) warned that the area is experiencing what could be “one of the largest tidal floods in 10 to 20 years,” adding that the damage in some places could be the most severe since Hurricane Isabel in 2003.
Federal meteorologists said Friday that tidal or rain flooding and “strong winds and severe thunderstorms capable of potentially devastating storms” are expected in the area around Washington and Baltimore.
Several coastal flood warnings have been issued by the meteorological services from Virginia to central New Jersey.
In Annapolis, a coastal town in Maryland about 50 kilometers from Washington, residents walking the flooded streets were getting water up to their knees. One of them even chose to travel by kayak, thus staying dry.
Photo by Susan Walsh, Associated Press
People who were walking in the flooded streets had water come to their knees. One of them even chose to travel by kayak, thus staying dry.
Sandbags were placed at the entrance to a few shops to prevent water from entering.
On Monday, California witnessed record high rains, which caused multiple floods, after months of drought and repeated wildfires.
Scientists regularly point to the role of climate change to explain the frequency and severity of these extreme weather events. According to the World Weather Attribution Consortium, the catastrophic floods that Germany and Belgium experienced in July were exacerbated by rising temperatures.
An increase in the temperature of the atmosphere increases the moisture it can contain.
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