Sea level rise will have major impacts in the Honolulu area for decades to come

New research from the University of Hawaii has determined that sea level rise will likely cause large percentages of land in the Honolulu, Hawaii, area to be impacted by three flood mechanisms at the same time.

A simultaneous combination of ocean water washing directly over the shoreline, groundwater inundation as the water table rises closer to the surface and reverse flow through the city drainage system may contribute to flooding, especially during extreme high tide events.

Based on the research, groundwater inundation will be the most extensive flood source.

A few years ago, my wife and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Hawaii with close friends. I remember walking to Waikiki Beach and seeing the sidewalk above the beach flooded at a normal high tide. I heard an older local talking about the fact that he had never seen this amount of non-storm, high tide flooding at the beach in all his years.

Key excerpt from the EurekAlert report...

"This is significant because many people think that sea level rise can be mitigated by seawalls," said Shellie Habel, lead author of the study and coastal geologist and extension agent with the University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program and UH Coastal Geology Group. "But a seawall will not stop groundwater inundation. Our results highlight the need to readjust our thinking regarding the flooding that accompanies sea level rise. We want to be sure to implement flood management strategies that will be effective at mitigating flooding."