Photo by heather.dyan

There’s a bright side to the news that the District could face come pretty monumental flooding if climate change continues unabated — way more waterfront property.

But seriously, the Post’s Capital Weather Gang reports today that should climate change continue and sea levels rise, everything from monuments to the Metro system could face inundation:

The study, led by Bilal Ayyub of the University of Maryland, found that even if sea level rise turns out to be at the very low end of projections, it would still cause significant damage in Washington. For example, if the local sea level were to rise by just 0.1 meter, or about 4 inches, by 2043, nearly 68,000 people would be affected, and property damage would total upwards of $2 billion – without including damage to military bases and government property.

The study points out the vulnerability of the military installations the line the Potomac River, particularly Bolling Air Force Base, which would lose 23 buildings to inundation by 2043 if sea level rise proceeds at its recent rate, and many more if it speeds up.

In a worst case scenario, the study found, “the National Gallery of Art, FBI, IRS, Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of Education would all be under water.”

Of course, the Weather Gang points out, the study is premised on the idea that sea levels will rise in a linear fashion, which they likely won’t. But given some of the flooding that we regularly experience anyhow, it seems realistic to assume that as sea levels continue rising, the more the flooding we get now will get worse.

Thankfully, I bought on a hill, so I’m good for another few decades.