NASA Analyst: 10-Year Floods Will Normalize On America's West Coast

Strong El Nino could influence a 10-year flood frequency on America's west coast (photo: dock. NASA)

JAKARTA El Ninokini's serious threat haunts America's west coast. In the latest findings, El Nino could make a 10-year flood a common natural disaster.

This finding was shared by the Sea Surface Change Science Team of the United States Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) on November 8. They said that the strong El Nino this winter could increase flood frequency.

This frequency level is equivalent to a 10-year flood that can flood roads to lowlands and all buildings. Worse, cities like La Libertad and Baltra will experience this flood event three times.

NASA's analysis says that these high-frequency floods usually don't occur along America's west coast, especially outside El Nino's year. However, in the 2030s, this flood will be commonplace every year, even without El Nino.

"I was a little surprised that analysis found that this 10-year event could become commonplace in such a short time. I thought maybe in the 2040s or 2050s," said NASA Sea Surface Change Science Team member Phil Thompson.

The 10-year flood is a flood that is likely to occur only one in ten in certain years. The height of this flood depends on the sea surface height in an area, including the topography of sea-related areas.

Even though it is classified as a moderate flood, the evacuation of residents and guarding of goods is very likely. If this flood occurs in a row, of course the government and its citizens must anticipate.

In NASA's analysis, cities on America's west coast will experience 10 10-year flood events in the 2030s. This frequency is predicted to increase drastically in the 2050s. The west coast of America is expected to face 40 flood events in a certain year.

El Nino is a climate phenomenon that usually occurs periodically. When this phenomenon occurs, the sea level will be higher than usual and the sea temperature will become warmer than the average.

When El Nino occurs, more rain will occur in some areas such as the southwest of the United States. However, at the same time, some areas in the West Pacific such as Indonesia will experience drought. Usually, El Nino occurs at the beginning of the year, from January to March.