Reuters: Climate change over the next 20 to 70 years can be expected to increase hurricane flooding in Corpus Christi, Texas, home of three U.S. refineries, according to a study by Texas A&M University sponsored by the National Commission on Energy Policy released on Monday. Corpus Christi, on the south Texas coast, already faces the risk of widespread flooding from the most powerful hurricanes, according to the study."Flooding and damage from major hurricanes will be more severe," said study author Jennifer Irish, assistant professor of coastal and ocean engineering at Texas A&M University, in a statement. "And the worse global warming gets, the more severe the consequences for the Texas coast."
….The coastal land on which Corpus Christi sits is sinking due to geological forces and oil extraction. Mustang and Padre Islands, which provide barriers to Corpus Christi Bay, are eroding. Sea levels at Corpus Christi are expected to rise about 2.6 feet by 2080, further reducing the protection of the barrier islands. Melting of the ice sheets around the world may increase the amount by which seas rise. "Higher sea level means higher flood levels," according to the study….
An 1887 map of Corpus Christi, Texas
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