Losing your home or business to a catastrophe or natural disaster is something no one wants to go through. Most people whose properties are destroyed never see it coming and are completely surprised when a natural disaster turns severe enough to rip everything away. However, what about when there are firm predictions warning people about what could happen in the future?
That’s what’s happening right now in many parts of the world. Experts predict sea levels could rise six feet by the year 2100. The potential impact of this gradual rise would be devastating for an estimated two million property owners. If the predictions come true, many properties in the coastal states would likely be under water, with Florida taking the biggest hit.
What’s Being Done?
People who live and work on the coast know and understand the risks associated with living there. Builders always take the environment and potential for severe weather into account and even hire a structural engineering company to provide recommendations in some instances as well. However, preparing for a gradual rise in sea level is a lot more difficult than just thinking about a possible hurricane.
President Obama recently ordered construction companies, structural engineering companies and public agencies to take action to ensure buildings are up to code and can handle severe weather. Not only is this an effort to help people save their homes, but the economic impact can reach billions of dollars considering the potential number of homes that could be lost in a natural disaster.
Building Seawalls
One of the main ways states along the coast are preparing for sea level rises is to build seawalls. A six-foot rise in sea level may not seem like a lot if you aren’t familiar with how the levels work, but it is a significant amount. When it comes to seawall construction, companies would have to build these walls extremely tall and sturdy to be able to handle force from the water. It will be similar to a dam holding in water from a lake or river.
Sudden environmental phenomenons are difficult to prepare for since you don’t know how severe they will be. However, when you have models and projections showing what will happen within the next 100 years, there is time to take action now.
That’s what we do at BE Structural PC. Our team analyzes and develops the engineering of seawalls and other homes and structures to ensure the safety of the public. If you are interested in learning more about what we do or how we can help you, contact us at any time!