While the nation's attention is directed at the ongoing burlesque of democratic government in Washington, D.C. those clever Chinese climate hoaxsters are hard at work giving places like Florida a sneak preview of coming attractions. From the Weather Channel:

Higher sea levels threaten the systems that carry wastewater away from more than one in five households in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes use septic tanks that rely on dry soil to work properly. Higher water levels saturate the ground and make it impossible for the soil to filter waste from the water that comes out of septic tanks.

The problem is particularly acute for Florida, which has 2.6 million septic systems, according to the state's Department of Health. That represents 12% of all the septic systems in the U.S.

The phenomenon in question is called "king tides," which occur regularly throughout the autumn months. These are higher-than-usual tides that last about three hours. Manholes become geysers and street flooding becomes deadly. They have nothing to do necessarily with rain—they can occur in bright sunshine—and they are exacerbated by rising sea levels. From the Miami New Times:

According to NOAA, king tides provide a glimpse of future average water levels as sea levels continue to rise. Yesterday the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a bleak special report about how the oceans will be affected by climate change. The report says global sea levels rose nearly six inches during the 20th Century and are now rising at twice that rate and accelerating. The report says sea-level rise will increase the frequency of "extreme sea-level events," such as those during high tides and storms. Flood risks, ocean temperatures, tropical cyclone winds, rainfall, and storm surge are only expected to increase, threatening coastal areas and potentially wiping out island nations.

The point is that king tides happen every year. They will continue to happen every year as the oceans steadily rise. There also has been flooding in Houston and all over the upper midwest. From The New York Times:

Houston’s challenge reflects the dilemma facing cities everywhere: As the climate changes, disasters aren’t just becoming more severe, but also more frequent. So even as the amount of damage increases, governments and residents have less time to repair before the next storm hits. And structural changes that might reduce cities’ exposure require years or decades to complete. “Implementation is going to take way longer than a single hurricane season,” said Shalini Vajjhala, whose company Re:Focusworks with local governments to address the physical risks of global warming. “The rains come every year.”

Yes. Yes, they do.

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Charles P. Pierce Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976.

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