Oceans along the U.S. coastline will rise faster within the next three decades. It will rise faster than it did in the past 100 years. IT will bring more flooding to coastal cities such as New York and Miami. This is according to the latest projections.
Sea levels are expected to rise 12 inches by 2050. This is according to a report led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The amount will vary according to region. The inundation will lead to more coastal flooding. It will make tidal and storm surge more severe.
Rising waters are threatening coastal cities including New York, Boston and Miami. These cities are commonly experience flooding during high tides. The high tides occur with full and new moons. Homes, businesses, highways and other infrastructure along coastlines are vulnerable to damage from flooding. Nearly 8 million homes are at risk of storm surges.
Sea levels in Manhattan could rise by 2 feet in 2055. It will depend on the impacts of climate change. This is according to NOAA estimates. 7,895 people in Manhattan live in low-lying areas. The area will flood with less than 2 feet of sea level rise.
High-tide flooding has doubled in New York since 2000. It now occurs 10 to 15 times a year. The annual frequency of flooding in Miami and South Carolina has grown from zero to two days in 2000 to about five to 10 days as of last year.
Greenhouse gas emissions will contribute about 2 feet of global sea level rise by 2100, by trapping heat that melts ice sheets. Failing to curb future emissions will cause sea levels to rise an additional 18 inches by the end of the century. The U.S. coast is a global sea-level rise hotspot. Global warming above 5.5 degrees Fahrenheit would spur on rapid melting of Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. It will release the water into oceans. The exact damage is difficult to model for scientists because of “ice sheet instability”.
