A map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has shown that rising sea levels could threaten U.S. coastal cities. The government organization predicts that sea levels along the U.S. coastline may rise by 10 to 12 inches by the end of the century. If these trends continue and climate change mitigation efforts are not implemented, communities along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts could be forced to move inland.
NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer highlights areas in dark blue that will be most affected by rising tides in the coming years.
According to the map, cities in New England, such as Bridgeport, Connecticut, Providence, Rhode Island, and Boston, Massachusetts, may be at risk. Other North Atlantic states like Delaware, Maine, New Jersey, and New York could also face similar threats. Southern cities including Charleston, Savannah, Virginia Beach, Wilmington, and Baltimore may also be in danger. Dr. William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer working on the map, told Newsweek that while full submergence is unlikely, “episodic flooding could become extremely damaging and a major concern unless we do something.”
On the Gulf Coast, NOAA identified Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida as vulnerable coastal states. Even offshore cities like Houston in Texas could be at risk. In Florida, cities such as Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Cape Coral would face significant threats.
The chart also indicates that major cities on the Pacific Coast, like Everett, Seattle, and Tacoma in Washington, as well as possibly Portland, Oregon, could be affected. In California, large cities such as San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Thousand Oaks, Oakland, Oceanside, and San Diego, located in the southern part of the state, are also in potential peril.
Dr. Sweet added, “It could be sunny out, no storms, but a lot of the towns are starting to be affected by water in the streets, water coming up out of stormwater systems, and pooling up in communities. And that’s going to happen more frequently, and that’s going to be by 2050 with about a foot of sea level rise.”