Supermoon Floods Warn of Crisis Facing Trump, U.S.

President-elect Donald Trump is preparing to lead America during a perilous period for the 130 million residents of its coastal counties.  High tides linked to the full moon since the weekend caused minor flooding from Florida to New England, underscoring the need for improved coastal infrastructure at a time of faster rising seas.

“We do see some pretty high tides, even without the full moon,” said JB Workman, a golf course employee who moved into an increasingly flood-prone neighborhood in Brunswick, Ga., several years ago.  “This past weekend the flooding was like I've never seen during my time here — way worse, and dangerous.”

Globally, in recent years, America has been playing an outsized role in efforts to slow global warming, which would ease future sea level rise, though nothing could completely halt the problem now.  That leading role could now be in jeopardy as Trump has called climate change a “hoax” and said during the campaign that he would withdraw America from efforts at the United Nations to address climate change.

Domestically, the federal government plays key roles in protecting coastal communities from floods, a job made more challenging as seas rise.  That role may also be jeopardized, given promises by Trump and Republicans in Congress to slash federal spending.

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