Flooding linked to climate change puts beaches, nuclear plants at risk

An increasing risk of flooding across the U.S. from climate change has caused lawmakers — from Hawaii to the East Coast — to consider new measures to protect at-risk areas.

The big picture: The risks span from the nation's natural jewels to some of its most important infrastructure. Rising sea levels mean that Hawaii's Waikiki Beach could be underwater within the next 15 to 20 years — and an increasing number of U.S. nuclear plants were never designed to handle the flood risk from climate change.