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As Sea Levels Rise, What Will It Take to Protect the Bay Area From Flooding?

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Flooding near Highway 101 and the Mill Valley Sausalito Path in Sausalito on Dec. 4, 2025, during a king tide event. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

Airdate: Tuesday, January 13 at 9 AM

Marin Country rang in the New Year with the worst flooding in decades. Heavy storms combined with king tides turned parts of Highway 101 into lakes, pushed water over levees, and caused damage to hundreds of homes and businesses. While many people were caught off guard, the floods were not a surprise to researchers and planners who study sea-level rise. The question now is how well cities and regional agencies will respond and make changes. We’ll talk about the floods and what it will take to adapt to rising sea levels in the Bay Area.

Guests:

Ezra David Romero, climate reporter, KQED

Kristina Hill, director, Institute for Urban and Regional Development, College of Environmental Design at UC Berkeley

Bart Ney, acting deputy director of external affairs, Caltrans

Michael Germeraad, resilience planner, Association of Bay Area Governments & Metropolitan Transportation Commission

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