Every winter, Imperial Beach finds some of its streets and sidewalks underwater. This week, researchers from San Diego State and UC San Diego started digging groundwater wells to see how sea-level rise plays a role in that flooding. The sea-level impacts how shallow the water table is underneath the city.

“Flooding overall is a very, very big thing in Imperial Beach,” said Hassan Davani, Ph.D.

The SDSU researcher said most studies predict sea-level rise will significantly impact California as early as 2050. However, Davani said Imperial Beach can’t wait that long to protect itself.

This happens regularly in the @CityofIB. A study is underway to figure out how to stop flooding in the future, especially if the sea level keeps rising. @nbcsandiego at 4:30 and 6:00. pic.twitter.com/d8cz7ZDERY

— Joe Little🎥🏀 (@LittleJoeTV) December 2, 2021