"In a large proportion of the metropolitan areas along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, at least half of the hospitals are at risk of flooding even from relatively weak hurricanes, a new study found.

Projected sea level rise is expected to increase the odds of coastal hospital flooding by 22 percent by the end of the century, according to the study, which was published on Thursday, a day after Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida.

The study comes at a critical moment. Ian, which was nearly a Category 5 storm when it made landfall, could end up ranking as one of the most catastrophic hurricanes to strike the United States in the past decade, according to forecasters.

The study found that, in one-third of the 78 metropolitan areas examined, half or more of the hospitals faced flood risk from what the study described as a “relatively weak” hurricane of Category 2. Five of the 10 most threatened metropolitan areas identified in the study are in coastal Florida."

Elena Shao reports for the New York Times September 29, 2022. [2]