Boston Under Water

Boston’s charm lies in its location and its age, with historic buildings and winding streets shouldering up to the waterfront. But the city was built for a different climate, and with scientists projecting up to 40 inches of sea rise by 2070, those charms are now vulnerabilities.

Zy Baer's "Polarity" installation imagines how the Fort Point and Seaport neighborhoods could look if nothing is done to reverse the effects of climate change. (Courtesy Fort Point Arts Commission)

'Your Condo Is Going To Flood': A Sculptural Installation Predicts What Climate Change Could Bring

Interdisciplinary artist Zy Baer's installation, called "Polarity," warns about the threat of rising sea levels, and what the Seaport District will look like if no action is taken on climate...

Local Coverage

03:13Jun 18, 2021

A mason applies mortar to a brick sewer line under construction in the 1880's (Courtesy Boston Public Library

Old Sewers, New Problem: Boston's Stormwater System Is Threatened By Climate Change

Of the 666 miles of stormwater pipes running underneath the city, nearly half were built during the 1930s or earlier -- and at least 120 miles predate World War I.

Radio Boston

14:44Jun 17, 2021

In a photo from the 1880s, men inspect sewer construction in Boston. (Courtesy Boston Public Library)

Boston’s Stormwater Problems Are Older Than The City Itself

How Boston's modern-day stormwater system came to be

Local Coverage

Jun 17, 2021

Flood waters cover Morrissey Boulevard in November 2020. (Matt Stone/ MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)

As Sea Levels Rise in Boston, Stormwater May Have Nowhere To Go

The labyrinth of underground pipes that collect rainwater from catch basins on the street and conveys it to rivers or Boston Harbor isn’t equipped to handle the rising sea levels...

Local Coverage

07:03Jun 17, 2021

This image shows Island End River in Chelsea, with the marsh, boardwalk, Island End Park and Admiral's Hill Marina. The Mystic River is in the distance. (Ibrahim Lopez-Hernandez for GreenRoots)

Chelsea Residents Already Fight For Clean Air, Green Space — And Now, Protection From Rising Seas

A lifetime of working, saving and struggling could be lost in a single storm surge, writes Roseann Bongiovanni. Members of my community will be driven from their homes, their neighborhoods.

Cognoscenti

Jun 17, 2021

Test Your Boston And Climate Change Knowledge With Our Quiz

Think you know Boston's waterfront? Try your hand at this quiz.

Local Coverage

Jun 16, 2021

The Vertex building by Fan Pier in the Boston Seaport. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The Seaport Cost Billions To Build. What Will It Take To Save It?

The Seaport is one of the most vulnerable areas to sea-level rise in Boston. There are big questions about who should pay to protect it.

Local Coverage

07:13Jun 16, 2021

"FutureSHORELINE," an art installation by Carolina Aragón along Fort Point Channel, imagines how high the water will rise in coming decades. (Courtesy Matt Conti)

Fort Point Channel Sculptures Model How High The Water Could Rise In The City

Artist and professor Carolina Aragón created "FutureSHORELINE," a temporary art installation that shows projected flooding in Boston, due to sea level rise.

Local Coverage

Jun 16, 2021

Posts anchored into the sidewalk outside the Aquarium MBTA station entrance will be used to support a flood barrier that will be put in place ahead of future high water storms that threaten to flood the station. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Understanding The Climate Threats To The Blue Line, MBTA

We speak with WBUR reporter Simón Ríos and Julie Wormser, Deputy Director at the Mystic River Watershed Association.

Radio Boston

10:52Jun 15, 2021

A Blue Line train passes over a culvert next to the DCR Bennington Street Pump Station. Water from Suffolk Downs flows through the culvert into this pond. Water flowing in the opposite direction, from Belle Isle Marsh, is blocked by tide gates. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The Blue Line Was Named For Boston Harbor. Now The Sea Threatens The Service

Without Belle Isle Marsh the Blue Line would be far more vulnerable to flooding. But, as sea level continues to rise, the marsh may disappear under water.

Local Coverage

06:24Jun 15, 2021

A police car navigates through floodwaters on Central St. to reach Atlantic Ave. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

The 1-2-3s Of Boston's Rising Sea Level

We cover a lot of this information in our series "Boston Under Water." To help you wrap your head around the issues, we're breaking things down by the numbers.

Local Coverage

Jun 15, 2021

The glass of the Residences at Pier 4 Boston condominium complex in the Seaport neighborhood of Boston reflected sailboats on Boston Harbor on Aug. 14, 2019. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

To Survive Rising Seas, Boston May Need To 'Make' Land Again

Fill is a touchy subject in Boston Harbor, writes Courtney Humphries. But new fill may be needed to achieve the city’s vision for a waterfront that will continue to thrive...

Cognoscenti

Jun 15, 2021

The Boston skyline seen from across the harbor with the Seaport on the left, central Boston on the right and Fort Point channel running between the two. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Kicking Off New WBUR Series, "Boston Under Water"

We discuss "Boston Under Water," a new WBUR series that kicks off today, exploring the issue of sea-level rise, our vulnerability to it and what's being done to mitigate it.

Radio Boston

11:50Jun 14, 2021

Charles C. Perkins, "Boston for 100 years." (Courtesy Leventhal Map & Education Center)

8 Maps That Explain Boston's Changing Shoreline

These eight historical maps offer snapshots of Boston’s growth over time, documenting the city's ongoing -- and ever-changing -- relationship with the sea.

Local Coverage

Jun 14, 2021

Tall ships pass in front of the skyline during Sail Boston's Parade of Sail, Saturday, June 17, 2017, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Sam Adams In The Water: A Conversation With Historian Nancy Seasholes About Landmaking In Boston

Historian Nancy Seasholes talks about what Boston's history landmaking means for its future, as climate change brings more rain and higher seas.

Local Coverage

Jun 14, 2021

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Boston Under Water

'Your Condo Is Going To Flood': A Sculptural Installation Predicts What Climate Change Could Bring

Local Coverage

Old Sewers, New Problem: Boston's Stormwater System Is Threatened By Climate Change

Radio Boston

Boston’s Stormwater Problems Are Older Than The City Itself

Local Coverage

As Sea Levels Rise in Boston, Stormwater May Have Nowhere To Go

Local Coverage

Chelsea Residents Already Fight For Clean Air, Green Space — And Now, Protection From Rising Seas

Cognoscenti

Test Your Boston And Climate Change Knowledge With Our Quiz

Local Coverage

The Seaport Cost Billions To Build. What Will It Take To Save It?

Local Coverage

Fort Point Channel Sculptures Model How High The Water Could Rise In The City

Local Coverage

Understanding The Climate Threats To The Blue Line, MBTA

Radio Boston

The Blue Line Was Named For Boston Harbor. Now The Sea Threatens The Service

Local Coverage

The 1-2-3s Of Boston's Rising Sea Level

Local Coverage

To Survive Rising Seas, Boston May Need To 'Make' Land Again

Cognoscenti

Kicking Off New WBUR Series, "Boston Under Water"

Radio Boston

8 Maps That Explain Boston's Changing Shoreline

Local Coverage

Sam Adams In The Water: A Conversation With Historian Nancy Seasholes About Landmaking In Boston

Local Coverage

Sections

Radio

Podcasts

CitySpace

Support

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Boston Under Water

'Your Condo Is Going To Flood': A Sculptural Installation Predicts What Climate Change Could Bring

Old Sewers, New Problem: Boston's Stormwater System Is Threatened By Climate Change

Boston’s Stormwater Problems Are Older Than The City Itself

As Sea Levels Rise in Boston, Stormwater May Have Nowhere To Go

Chelsea Residents Already Fight For Clean Air, Green Space — And Now, Protection From Rising Seas

Test Your Boston And Climate Change Knowledge With Our Quiz

The Seaport Cost Billions To Build. What Will It Take To Save It?

Fort Point Channel Sculptures Model How High The Water Could Rise In The City

Understanding The Climate Threats To The Blue Line, MBTA

The Blue Line Was Named For Boston Harbor. Now The Sea Threatens The Service

The 1-2-3s Of Boston's Rising Sea Level

To Survive Rising Seas, Boston May Need To 'Make' Land Again

Kicking Off New WBUR Series, "Boston Under Water"

8 Maps That Explain Boston's Changing Shoreline

Sam Adams In The Water: A Conversation With Historian Nancy Seasholes About Landmaking In Boston