Rising Seas, Flooding Coasts

The document reports that the annual frequency of high tide flooding in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2000 and is projected to more than triple again by 2050. This trend is driven by global sea level rise caused by ocean warming and melting ice, with U.S. coasts expected to see as much rise in the next 30 years (10-12 inches) as they did in the last 100 years. High tide flooding, which occurs when water levels exceed 1-2 feet above the daily average high tide, disrupts infrastructure, ecosystems, and supply chains, particularly affecting the Northeast, Southeast, and Gulf Coasts.

• The annual frequency of high tide flooding in the United States has more than doubled since 2000 and is projected to more than triple again by 2050, reaching a national average of 45 to 85 flood days per year.
• Sea level rise is accelerating along U.S. coasts, with an expected average rise of 10-12 inches over the next 30 years, which is equivalent to the rise seen over the previous 100 years.
• High tide flooding, also known as nuisance or sunny day flooding, occurs when water levels reach 1-2 feet above the daily average high tide and can impact freshwater supplies, coastal infrastructure, and ecosystems.
• The Northeast, Southeast, and Gulf Coasts have seen the largest historical increases in high tide flooding, with record-breaking flood days recently recorded in Florida, Puerto Rico, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington state.
• Global sea level rise is primarily caused by human activities, specifically carbon pollution which leads to ocean warming (causing seawater expansion) and the melting of ice sheets and glaciers; global mean sea level rose 7.8 inches between 1901 and 2018.

APA

Silverstein, K. (2023). Rising Seas, Flooding Coasts. Climate Central. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-seas-flooding-coasts-2023

Chicago

Silverstein, Kate. Rising Seas, Flooding Coasts. Climate Central, 2023. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-seas-flooding-coasts-2023.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Silverstein |first1=Kate |title=Rising Seas, Flooding Coasts |publisher=Climate Central |date=27 September 2023 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-seas-flooding-coasts-2023 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{silverstein2023rising, author = {Silverstein, Kate}, title = {{Rising Seas, Flooding Coasts}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/rising-seas-flooding-coasts-2023}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }