New map reveals US cities and landmarks set to disappear by 2050

Daily Mail​

16 hours ago

A new interactive map is painting a grim picture for America's coastal cities, with many projected to be underwater by 2050 . Climate Central, an independent organization of scientists, has been developing a new Coastal Risk Screening Tool to predict how sea level rise and coastal flooding will reshape the US each decade. The latest update revealed that several major cities in Louisiana , Georgia, Florida and New York will sink below annual flood levels, threatening thousands of people who may find their homes underwater within the next 30 years. The Florida Everglades and the island that the Statue of Liberty sits on in New York are both predicted to be underwater in 25 years.
Countless wildlife conservation parks throughout the US are also expected to sink, and beachfront communities along the Gulf and East Coast will likely shrink as sea levels wash away the coastline. The new map also allows users to look at the best and worst case scenarios based on major flood predictions and pollution's impact on the climate, according to data from a 2021 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Long Island, Atlantic City, New Orleans and San Jose are all in the US danger zone even in the most conservative estimates by Climate Central. Here are several of the major cities that could submerge under rising sea levels by 2050.
New Orleans, Louisiana
The iconic Gulf Coast city has been in the crosshairs of climate alarmists for decades. The new map revealed that New Orleans, home to more than 360,000 people, will likely see the entire city sitting below the annual flood level. This means that, based on Climate Central's sea level rise projections and coastal elevation models, the city is expected to sink below the elevation at which flooding is likely to occur at least once per year. Simply put, even a normal flood in a year without extreme storms will submerge the whole city since nothing will be left above sea level in 2050.
Cape Coral, Florida
This southwestern Florida city is known for its many canals, but this also makes it one of the major projected victims of climate change-related sea level rise. Climate Central's map predicts that, by 2050, all of the local waterways that line the streets will rise up and erode much of the waterfront property these Floridians enjoy. Cape Coral is home to more than 220,000 people. Its low-lying areas are at high risk of being below annual flood level in 2050, even under moderate climate emissions scenarios projected by Climate Central. The city has also been struck by multiple hurricanes in recent years, including Hurricane Helene in 2024 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Savannah, Georgia
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston has become a major tourism hub over the years, but the new map predicts that much of the historic city's well-preserved architecture will sink into dangerous flood zones within three decades. Charleston faces regular flooding from storm surges, heavy rain and king tides - exceptionally high tides that occur when the gravitational forces of the moon and sun align.
In 1989, Hurricane Hugo caused $2.8 billion in damage, and recent storms like Matthew and Irma brought significant flooding as well. Sitting on a peninsula in South Carolina, the 2050 forecast projects that Charleston will see a sea level rise that floods areas along all three edges of the city.
Atlantic City, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
Speaking of New Jersey, even some more inland locations are at risk of severe sinking and flooding over the next 25 years. Located along the Hackensack River and less than 10 miles from New York City, East Rutherford has become known for two major attractions: the American Dream Mall and MetLife Stadium. Both venues sit on the Meadowlands, a large ecosystem of wetlands, marshes and tidal areas in northern New Jersey. According to the 2050 projections from Climate Central, that means the NFL's New York Jets and New York Giants will see their stadium sitting underwater within 30 years as the entire area is expected to fall under the annual flood level.
Long Island, New York
Although Long Island is so big that it has over a dozen cities and towns scattered across two counties, the entire coastline of this major New York landmass could be washed away by 2050. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast, causing widespread flooding throughout Long Island with damages surpassing $20 billion. In the latest projections for 2050, almost all of the small landmasses connecting the island's many vacation spots - including Fire Island and Jones Beach - will be underwater. Home to nearly 3 million people, coastal communities in Long Island's Babylon, Lindenhurst, Amityville, Massapequa, Freeport and Oceanside will also be affected by the rising sea levels eroding local beaches and beachfront property.
San Jose, California
On the West Coast, Climate Central's interactive map actually predicted little to no sea level rise and flooding throughout California. One area that did not escape the projected impact of climate change, however, was San Jose, which sits at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay. The 2050 projection warns that San Jose's Bayfront areas will be at risk of submerging in a flood. That includes the area around Levi's Stadium, home of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. While Climate Central's forecast was kind to most of California, other recent studies have not been.
Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) revealed that Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Alameda are all among the coastal cities that have seen their local sea levels rise since 2018. Rising sea levels and continued land erosion threaten to exacerbate flooding and subsidence (sinking of the ground) in these areas. Their new data showed that San Diego is experiencing the highest amount of sea level rise along the entire West Coast, rising 2.6 millimeters a year. By 2050, all four of these cities are predicted to see their local sea levels rise several inches above the projected average for that year.