High sea levels causing damage along the coast of Northeastern Brazil, March 2010

High sea levels causing damage along the coast of Northeastern Brazil

In various cities the waves advanced over streets and houses

by Honório Jacometto, Jornal Hoje, São Luís, Brazil, March 2, 2010

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In João Pessoa, a strong wave came over children. In the Bay of Betrayal, on the north coast of Paraíba state, yesterday afternoon, the sea rose 2.8 meters above the normal level.

The water invaded houses, restaurants and buildings. In February, the city hall decreed a state of emergency by reason of the advance of the sea.

In Recife bars on the beach closed two hours early, yesterday.  The sea also rose rapidly.

A couple always wanted to live along the beach. Six years ago, when they bought their house there were 11 meters of sand in front of the edge of their property.

Now the sea is pounding on their property's wall.

In São Luis, nothing escapes the fury of the sea -- not simple constructions nor luxury apartment buildings.  Old tires, sand bags, concrete walls.  The inhabitants are doing what they can, but all is in vain.

During the past night, the highest sea level of this year was registered in São Luis -- 6.5 meters -- normally, the high sea level reaches 5 meters.

A section of the beach in São Luis is blocked off, but it is not for any public works.  It was the inhabitants of an apartment complex themselves who used their own funds of R$20.000,00 to buy these stones.

They are being used in order to support the sea wall and prevent the next high seas from taken everything in front of it.

"There is concern because if this barrier of sand is not built there can be an invasion of water," an inhabitant warned.

Many people believe that the sea really is advancing over the coast of the Northeast, but researchers still have not reached a conclusion.

They explain that in March and September, when the solar equator passes overhead the highest sea levels of the year occur.  Additionally, this week the full moon increased even more the level of the sea.

[Readers, what this article does not say is that the full moon and the solar equator occur together regularly -- this is not a rare event.  Certainly, no one in their right mind would build cities where they knew the waves would come pouring in twice a year, certainly no one would put luxury apartment buildings in the way, nor would city centers be built with the knowledge that 5 feet of water would be pouring in.

This was not a one-day event.  The sea began to rise in February.  It rose from Recife in Pernambuco state all the way south to northern Bahia -- many hundreds of kilometers along the coast of northeastern Brazil.

Tenney]

Link:  http://g1.globo.com/jornalhoje/0,,MUL1512111-16022,00-MAR+PROVOCA+ESTRAGOS+NO+LITORAL+DO+NORDESTE.html