Sunbathers are seen on the beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in front of the Showboat Atlantic City hotel and the Ocean Casino Resort on May 22, 2021. (Photo by Daniel SLIM / AFP) (Photo by DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - Some cities around the world are pulling back from shorelines, as rising seas from climate change increase flooding.
But so far, retreat appears out of the question for Atlantic City, New Jersey.The breezy getaway town is on the water on a barrier, which was once reachable only by boat but in modern times via a causeway.
The city fully occupies a small piece of land, water on either side, just above sea level."We love our residents," said Barbara Woolley-Dillon, former Atlantic City Planning and Development Director. "We have one of the most diverse populations… it’s a great place to be, and we have such a thriving community that we want to do everything we can to keep it intact."The city, popular with vacation goers in the Eastern U.S., particularly in the summer, brings in billions of dollars in revenue, another incentive to keep it intact as long as possible."Atlantic City is a seven billion dollar a year economic engine" that benefits all of southern New Jersey and must be maintained, said Jim Rutala, an Atlantic City planning contractor.Still, the flooding is getting deeper and more frequent.