This is on top of the 3.4mm a year of average sea level increase - and that 3.4mm number is itself increasing. Half a centimeter a year - 5cm in ten years, not counting the acceleration...

After Sandy, one of the most respected Dutch water management companies was called in. They presented two plans: a rock-bottom price plan which prevented things from deteriorating more, and a full plan for about three times as much money, that would over a few decades improved NYC's storm resistance dramatically and pay off a multiple of its investment.

The response? "Oh, no, no - we were thinking about a tenth as much as the cheapest plan."

The headline here was "Not serious".

But I am reasonably certain that a century or so from now, the spot where I type will be flooded. My doorstep is 60cm below water...

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If you haven't read this book, you should: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Random_Acts_of_Senseless_Violence

It's so well-written, and so dark, and so New York City.