n Thursday’s Metro section, I wrote about a new report that details how climate change will affect New York State.

Big changes are coming our way, from rising temperatures to shifts in agricultural growing seasons, but the one that struck me most was the potential inundation of the shores of much of Long Island and New York City.

Looking at potential sea-level rise alone across the next century, the scientists behind the report estimate that the severe coastal floods that occur now about once a decade might strike once a year in New York City and once every one to two years in places like Westhampton Beach. Water levels associated with such events are expected to increase by one to two feet.

The report’s authors paint an evocative picture of what this might mean for our low-lying coastal regions: “The greater frequency of severe flooding events affecting the increasing number of waterfront residences may lead to abandonment of ground floors (as in Venice) or ultimately of entire buildings,” they write. Imagine one of those showplaces in East Hampton with inches of tide water pulsing across its marbled floors.

Low-lying coastal communities on Long Island and New York City “could find themselves repeatedly under water at high tide,” the report says. Imagine paddling through the streets of Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge section.

And consider the commute. “Many of the entrances to bridges and tunnels, segments of the highways and railroads, and similarly, many wastewater treatment plants and sewer outfall systems lie at or below the 10-foot contour and are potentially vulnerable to severe present-day coastal storm flooding, let alone projected higher future levels,” the

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report says.

Investing in a gondola fleet might not make sense for New York City. The report recommends the construction of sea walls, floodgates and pumping stations; elevating some bridges; outfitting tunnels with engineered flood protection; and other huge capital investments in infrastructure.