Land-based sensors reveal high frequency of coastal flooding
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.
Authors
- Miyuki Hino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9369-5769)
- Elizabeth Farquhar
- Katherine Anarde (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2586-0587)
- Thomas Thelen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2993-6446)
- Perri Woodard
- Anthony C. Whipple
- Ryan McCune (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4774-7411)
- Tessa Fridell
Institutions
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- North Carolina State University (US)
- ICF International (United States) (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Communications Earth & Environment
- Published
- 2025-06-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02326-w
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.53
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- U.S. Department of Transportation
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- North Carolina Department of Transportation
- Nuclear Safety and Security Commission
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- North Carolina Sea Grant, North Carolina State University
- Gulf Research Program
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development