A REAL scientific reason for the flooding - at least they didn’t blame it on global warming/climate change.
They were flooded because they made the economic descion not to raise their streets and buildings six feet near the waterfront. The damage done by this flooding was minimal compared to the cost of raising streets etc.
Same economic calculations has been made in Portland Maine where some first floor building flood about once a year. People and business consider this a cost of doing business and no one has a office on the first floor.