Courtesy of PRI.

The tides are encroaching, D.C. is slowly sinking … but where is the sense of urgency?

Among East and Gulf Coast communities, D.C. is predicted to rise to the top of the list for tidal flooding in the next few decades. Whereas the Washington area now experiences 43 floods a year, that is projected to increase to 155 in fifteen years. By 2045, D.C. is expected to lead the East and Gulf Coasts in the number of tidal floods—with 388 a year—according to a report by The Union of Concerned Scientists.’ Enter Vanilla Ice?

To illustrate just how dramatic the increase will be, Public Radio International has created an interactive map that renders the report’s findings into terms of ‘Ice Ice Baby.’ Click on a community and you can play the music video at the tempo that corresponds to the increase in flooding.

PRI wants us to know: this is our future.