Sea level rise due to global warming has already doubled the annual
risk of coastal flooding of historic proportions across widespread areas
of the U.S., according to a new report from Climate Central.
By 2030, many locations are likely to see storm surges combining with
sea level rise to raise waters at least 4 feet above the local high-tide
line. Nearly 5 million U.S. residents live in 2.6 million homes on land
below this level. More than 6 million people live on land below 5 feet;
by 2050, the study projects that widespread areas will experience
coastal floods exceeding this higher level.
Titled Surging Seas,
the report is the first to analyze how sea level rise caused by global
warming is compounding the risk from storm surges throughout the coastal
contiguous U.S. It is also first to generate local and national
estimates of the land, housing and population in vulnerable low-lying
areas, and associate this information with flood risk timelines. The
Surging Seas website includes a searchable, interactive online map
that zooms down to neighborhood level, and shows risk zones and
statistics for 3,000 coastal towns, cities, counties and states affected
up to 10 feet above the high tide line.
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