The US will experience as much sea level rise in the next 30 years as in the previous hundred years, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicted in a report on Tuesday. The study forecasts a "profound" increase in the frequency of coastal flooding, even in the absence of storms or heavy rainfall, as sea levels creep up a further 25-30cm on average by 2050.
The new data is the "the latest reconfirmation that our climate crisis... is blinking 'code red'", said Gina McCarthy, US climate adviser. Many sea level predictions focus on the year 2100, but scientists hope the 2050 data in this study will help communities to plan for and adapt to the changing climate around the corner. "The changes are slow and incremental, but after decades would become devastating without proper action," said Ilan Kelman, professor of disasters and health at University College London.