Norfolk, Virginia is a historic city surrounded by three bodies of water, Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, Hampton Roads Bay. It’s in a delta, which means the city is permeated with rivers, marshes, and ponds, nearly all subject to tidal flows. The largest navy base in the world is located here. And thousands of homes are located in flood prone areas.

The city of Norfolk, Va., is getting an early look at what sea-level rise means for a big coastal community. The city is experiencing sea-level rise earlier than most because not only are the seas around the city going up, but much of the land beneath Norfolk is going down. This one-two punch means the city is seeing today the kind of flooding that many cities could experience down the road if the scientific projections of sea-level rise play out. More at PBS

With the seas rising ever more quickly, should tax payers be on the hook to pay for people’s damaged property?