Boston is mostly Fill

quicksandfarmer · Oct 29, 2015

Garandman said:
The other feature of Boston is a 10-11 foot tidal swing. Northeast storms (usually the most intense) drive waves towards the coast in the Gulf of Maine. Coupled with astronomical high tides (full or new moon when the moon is nearest the earth) of up to 12.4' and we get 2-4' higher tides and flooding. This high water backs up rivers so that can increase flooding as well.

Not sure if that means we are more or less prepared. I do keep an 11' inflatable and outboard at the house......

I grew up in Cambridge and I remember people canoeing past my house during a big flood in the early 70's. I think the hurricane of 1938 had a storm surge of 18'.

mjarrels · Oct 30, 2015

The last couple of times I was in the Philippines, fill from the 1991 mt pinatobo eruption was being loaded on large barges and shipped to Singapore for use in land building. Heck, look at Dubi?

mark

RobertN · Oct 30, 2015

I know there is major fill in the San Francisco Bay. The Marina district was hit hard during the '89 earthquake; the fill shook like Jello.

mjarrels · Nov 2, 2015

Heck, look up the building of NAS Cubi Point in the Philippines. Navy Seabees moved a mountain and probably moved more dirt than the building of the Panama Canal. Filled in Subi Bay (a deep natural port) to build a long runway with supporting buildings and hangars.

mark

Garandman · Nov 2, 2015

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naval_Air_Station_Cubi_Point

Garandman · Nov 3, 2015

Here's what Boston looks like today:

And here is the FEMA flood map. As you can see, "We got problems, right here in River City." Boston Harbor has three rivers flowing into it (Charles, Mystic, and Neponset) and they will back up as well.

We inquired about flooding before we bought our house, and were told, "Well, it hasn't flooded since first settled in 1630: you're probably OK."
We live at the lofty elevation of 29 feet about the mean high water level....