Use this interactive map to see the potential impact of rising sea levels along the South Coast — including your neighborhood.
Decades of data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows evidence linking carbon emissions to a warming atmosphere and a changing climate.
But envisioning what sea level rise and worsening storms mean for local roads, homes and beaches decades down the road can be difficult. An interactive map created by climate communications nonprofit Climate Central, can help.
The model — first published in 2020 — visualizes sea level rise and flood risk across the nation’s coastline. It uses data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2022 sea level rise technical report, the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and various federal databases and peer-reviewed climate studies. It incorporates more than 100 demographic, infrastructure, climate and economic variables.
South Coast confronts rising seas
Rising sea levels and intensifying storms are reshaping the South Coast, with flooding roadways, beach erosion, declining salt marsh, and property damage forcing towns to acknowledge that they must adapt to shifting conditions.
The maps also use the same 5-meter horizontal grid digital elevation model used by NOAA’s sea level rise model, with horizontal resolution of 16 feet or greater within the contiguous United States.
Staff at the Light has set the model to show parts of the South Coast shoreline that are projected to be underwater due to rising seas by 2100, if we continue on an intermediate emissions pathway, and global warming has a moderate effect on sea level rise.
Viewers can change the map to display coastal flood risk maps and adjust emissions pathways and impact of global warming on sea levels. To do so, click on the information button at the top-left corner of the screen, which links to the larger model.
Email reporter Adam Goldstein at agoldstein@newbedfordlight.org.
