I don't buy this

Guardian:

US coastal cities in danger as sea levels rise faster than expected, study warns

The problem with this study is that the surge tide from Sandy, like that of many other hurricanes over the last hundred years, would have swamped lower areas regardless of what the sea level was over the last 100 years.  What is happening here is that environmental opportunist are trying to use the effects of this storm to push their control freak agenda.

What the storm may do is spark a debate on the practicality of coastal development and the types of structures that should be built near the coast.  That is a debate worth having, but not in the context of global warming.

There are other studies that show a de minimis rise in the sea level over the last two decades.

Hurricanes have long had killer surge tides.  The Galveston Hurricane of 1900 hit with 145 miles per hour winds and killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people.  At the time the highest point on Galveston Island was 8.7 feet.  The surge tide was estimated at 15 feet overriding the entire island knocking homes off their foundations and drowning thousands.  The storm proceeded across the US and eventually hit New York City at 65 miles and hour and creating flooding along its water front too. All of this happened before Global warming and "rising tides."

After the storm The Houston Ship Channel was dug creating a port about 50 miles inland running through Galveston Bay up into Buffalo Bayou.  The dirt from digging the channel was used to raise most of Galveston Island approximately 17 feet higher and a seawall was constructed to protect the Island.  It is still there.  Some houses were raised to a new level and some of the more substantial structures which survived the storm had their lower floor converted to basements.

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