FACT SHEET Georgia Faces

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies that all of Georgia's oceanfront communities face chronic inundation by 2100 under an intermediate sea level rise scenario. The report highlights that Savannah and Brunswick will see significant land area loss by 2045 and 2060, while suggesting that limiting global warming to 1.8°C could spare some communities. It advocates for a science-based approach to adaptation, including updating flood maps, reforming insurance, and creating relocation programs.

• Under the intermediate sea level rise scenario, four Georgia communities will face chronic inundation by 2035, and a total of ten—representing all of the state's oceanfront communities—will be affected by 2100. The high scenario increases this number by an additional eight communities by the end of the century.
• In the high sea level rise scenario, the cities of Savannah and Brunswick will experience significant chronic inundation: by 2045, approximately 13% and 22% of their land area will be affected, increasing to roughly 17% for Savannah and 25% for Brunswick by 2060.
• Limiting global warming to approximately 1.8°C (the low scenario) could prevent chronic inundation for two or more Georgia communities by 2060 and between four and 12 communities by 2100, although Savannah would still be affected.
• The document proposes three critical policy response categories: phasing out policies that encourage risky coastal development (such as updating flood risk maps and building codes), enhancing existing disaster frameworks (including FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program), and creating new programs for retreat and relocation from inundated areas.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2017). FACT SHEET Georgia Faces. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-georgia-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. FACT SHEET Georgia Faces. 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-georgia-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=FACT SHEET Georgia Faces |date=July 2017 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-georgia-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2017fact, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{FACT SHEET Georgia Faces}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-georgia-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }