Paradise May Be Swallowed By The Pacific
If you don’t know where you’re going when the volcano blows, then what the heck are you doing to do when the ocean overwhelms Waikiki Beach?
While exploding volcanos are a natural part of Hawaii, its most famous location and tourist attraction being swallowed whole by the Pacific is not, yet that is what state legislators have warned could happen in 15-20 years because of that global warming.
That global warming has already caused a six-inch rise in sea water the past couple of decades and, as anyone who has been to Waikiki Beach can confirm, hotels and businesses are not that far from the ocean.
“The latest data on sea level rise is quite scary and it’s accelerating faster than we ever thought possible,” Hawaii state Rep. Chris Lee told the Associated Press.
Of course, the legislature isn’t going to go out surfing while an impending disaster comes lapping up their doorstep. They are making moves that they hope will stem the tide. It will also change the look of Waikiki Beach as we know it today.
Among the plans is to build a shoreline pathway divided into different “compartments.” Each compartment would be required to build coastal parks, and implement flood-protection zones.
In May 2017, high tides engulfed parts of Waikiki, getting dangerously close to the beachfront hotels. The tide rose two-and-a-half-feet, covering nearby roads and sidewalks.
That could be more common in the future. But the odds of Waikiki disappearing into the Pacific remain low, if for no other reason than the economic factor would be so severe, the legislature would build a seawall the size of Diamond Head to keep if it had to in order keep out the water.
But just to be safe, you might want to start making travel plans to Waikiki Beach sooner rather than later.
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