Tracking Climate Change: Md. Residents Snap Pictures Of High Tides
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Pictures are sometimes worth more than a thousand words.
Alex DeMetrick reports during the next 24 hours, photographs could help reveal Maryland's future.
Not much separates Maryland from Maryland water.
Some of the state's highest priced real estate sits on the lowest land.
And right now, water is lifting, with some of the highest tides of the year called king tides. Not from storms, but from an alignment of the Earth, moon and sun.
"They're not related to climate change, but we hope to capture photos of areas that do flood in Maryland," said Kate Skaggs, Department of Natural Resources.
On Saturday, people near shorelines are being asked to take photos of where king tides are pushing the water, and send them to DNR.
"The state is trying to help coastal communities figure out how to plan for sea level rise, and these photos will give us an idea of where to start," Skaggs said.
The highest king tides in the United States happen along the West Coast.
"It looked like a bathtub filling up," a man said.
"Every house on the street flooded," one woman said.
California became the first state to use the tides as a way to look into the future, hoping to predict where water will rise when warmer oceans swell and push inward.
Where future flooding might occur is vital to know because Maryland is more vulnerable than most states.
"When you talk about sea level rise, it's not only the sea is rising from warmer temperatures, but it's also the land sinking," Skaggs said.
A unique geologic feature as Maryland's lowest places sink lower, opening the door to more severe flooding.
Click here to send your pictures.
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