Massachusetts Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies Massachusetts communities at risk of 'chronic inundation'—defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea level rise scenario, five communities will face this by 2060 and 13 by 2100. Under a high scenario, those five communities will be affected by 2045, with 23 communities affected by 2100. The report highlights that working-class towns like Chelsea and Revere are particularly vulnerable, with up to 30% of Chelsea's land area potentially chronically inundated by 2060. The UCS argues that limiting warming to approximately 1.8°C could spare several communities, including Boston and Cambridge, from this fate. Recommended responses include phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing FEMA's mitigation programs, and creating new policies for managed retreat and relocation.

• Chronic inundation is defined as occurring when high tide floods 10 percent or more of a community's usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year, or roughly every other week.
• Under the intermediate sea level rise scenario, five Massachusetts communities will face chronic inundation by 2060, increasing to 13 by 2100. Under the high scenario, those five communities will be affected by 2045, and 23 communities will be affected by 2100.
• Working-class towns Chelsea and Revere are highly vulnerable; in the high scenario, they would see 11% and 14% of their land chronically inundated by 2045, growing to 30% for Chelsea and 20% for Revere by 2060.
• The UCS proposes three policy response categories: halting policies that encourage risky coastal development, enhancing existing frameworks like FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and creating new programs for retreat and relocation.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2017). Massachusetts Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-massachusetts-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Massachusetts Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME. 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-massachusetts-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

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

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2017massachusetts, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Massachusetts Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME}}, 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-massachusetts-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }