Cities get ready for global warming disasters

Large waves crash into the Pacific Coast Highway near Point Mugu, California. US state officials are addressing the threats posed by extreme weather and rising sea levels by building higher seawalls, improving drainage and conserving coastal marshland. Photo: EPA

Some US cities have begun to address the effects of climate change such as rising seas and more extreme weather.

Eroding beaches and the seawater that lap onto the Embarcadero waterfront in San Francisco during high tide – not to mention severe storm flooding – were sending a clear message to a city surrounded by water on three sides.