The United States is expected to experience as much sea-level rise by the year 2050 as it witnessed in the previous hundred years. That’s according to a NOAA-led report updating sea level increases for the U.S.
The Sea Level Rise Technical Report provides the most up-to-date projections for all U.S. states and territories by decade for the next 100 years and beyond. The report projects sea levels along the coastline will rise an additional 10-12 inches by 2050, with specific amounts varying regionally. At least two feet of sea-level rise is likely by 2100, but NOAA says reducing emissions now can lower future risk.
NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad says, “This is a global wake-up call and gives Americans the information needed to act now to best position ourselves for the future.”
The report also finds that the sea level rise expected by 2050 will create a profound increase in the frequency of coastal flooding, even in the absence of storms or heavy rainfall.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)