What Will America’s Coastlines Look Like in 2050?

If you've ever dreamed of owning a home on the beach, you might want to take a step back – literally. According to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, climate change will cause sea levels to rise by one foot (0.3 m) along U.S. coastlines by the year 2050.

This equates to the ongoing erosion of beaches and shorelines, and an increasing threat of flooding to coastal communities. “We’re unfortunately headed for a flood regime shift,” said William Sweet, an oceanographer at the NOAA's National Ocean Service. “There will be water in the streets unless action is taken in more and more communities.”

Worryingly, Sweet said that even if a sudden shift in greenhouse gases is undertaken, there is no preventing what is likely to occur over the next three decades – though curbing emissions could prevent even more catastrophic sea level rise by the end of the century.

Kristina Dahl, a principal climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said that studies show that at the predicted rate of ocean rise, by 2050, about 140,000 U.S. homes would be at risk of flooding every other week, on average.

The rising tide: