Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding
Abstract Coastal flooding is occurring more frequently due to global sea-level rise, among other factors. However, current understanding of coastal flood frequency and sea-level rise impacts is predominantly based on tide gauges, which do not measure water levels on land. Here, we present data from...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02326-w |
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| _version_ | 1850224144947347456 |
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| author | Miyuki Hino Katherine Anarde Tessa Fridell Ryan McCune Thomas Thelen Elizabeth Farquhar Perri Woodard Anthony Whipple |
| author_facet | Miyuki Hino Katherine Anarde Tessa Fridell Ryan McCune Thomas Thelen Elizabeth Farquhar Perri Woodard Anthony Whipple |
| author_sort | Miyuki Hino |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Coastal flooding is occurring more frequently due to global sea-level rise, among other factors. However, current understanding of coastal flood frequency and sea-level rise impacts is predominantly based on tide gauges, which do not measure water levels on land. Here, we present data from a novel network of land-based flood sensors in the state of North Carolina, USA. We demonstrate that tide-gauge data are poor indicators of flooding: floods occur 26–128 days annually, an order of magnitude greater than what regional tide gauges suggest in some places. Improving the accuracy of coastal flood measures is critical for identifying the impacts of sea-level rise and developing effective adaptation strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-65da704a064a413eb832062dbbdff2a7 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-65da704a064a413eb832062dbbdff2a72025-08-20T02:05:42ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-06-01611610.1038/s43247-025-02326-wLand-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal floodingMiyuki Hino0Katherine Anarde1Tessa Fridell2Ryan McCune3Thomas Thelen4Elizabeth Farquhar5Perri Woodard6Anthony Whipple7University of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillAbstract Coastal flooding is occurring more frequently due to global sea-level rise, among other factors. However, current understanding of coastal flood frequency and sea-level rise impacts is predominantly based on tide gauges, which do not measure water levels on land. Here, we present data from a novel network of land-based flood sensors in the state of North Carolina, USA. We demonstrate that tide-gauge data are poor indicators of flooding: floods occur 26–128 days annually, an order of magnitude greater than what regional tide gauges suggest in some places. Improving the accuracy of coastal flood measures is critical for identifying the impacts of sea-level rise and developing effective adaptation strategies.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02326-w |
| spellingShingle | Miyuki Hino Katherine Anarde Tessa Fridell Ryan McCune Thomas Thelen Elizabeth Farquhar Perri Woodard Anthony Whipple Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding |
| title_full | Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding |
| title_fullStr | Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding |
| title_full_unstemmed | Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding |
| title_short | Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding |
| title_sort | land based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02326-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT miyukihino landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT katherineanarde landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT tessafridell landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT ryanmccune landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT thomasthelen landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT elizabethfarquhar landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT perriwoodard landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding AT anthonywhipple landbasedsensorsrevealhighfrequencyofcoastalflooding |