Summary
In recent years, there have been some concerns about rising sea levels. This page provides the latest reports on this issue as of 2022 with some older reports for context. Additional materials will be added during the year. Content is listed in chronological order with the most recent at the top. Emphasis is placed on the source of each report.
PBS NewsHour (14 Sep 2022)
“Report shows devastating economic impact of rising sea levels along American coast” — For years, scientists have warned about the dangerous consequences of climate change, and many dire outcomes are more urgent than most people realize. A new report shows sea-level rise will threaten homes and properties in hundreds of counties along the coast of the United States. As William Brangham reports, it could make many places unlivable and take an enormous economic toll.
ABC News (3 Aug 2022)
“NOAA report on US sea level rise a ‘wake-up call'” — ABC News Meteorologist Melissa Griffin breaks down a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report showing high-tide flooding is rising at concerning levels across the U.S. coastlines.
PBS (1 Aug 2022)
“Chesapeake Bay Island Towns Disappearing to Sea Level Rise” — Tangier is an island community off Virginia isolated enough to speak its own dialect of America English. Rising tides mean a rapid period of change for a historic town of 800 residents. The region is home to many enclaves already lost to sea-level rise, leaving residents to wonder what the future holds.
Channel 4 News (28 Jul 2022)
“Met Office: UK sea level rise speeding up” — This year’s climate has already smashed records, with temperatures last week topping 40 degrees Celsius. Higher temperatures are now the new normal according to a Met Office report which highlights how climate change is affecting the UK.
WMTW (23 Jul 2022)
“Maine’s coastline faces threat from rising sea levels and flooding without rain” – Sea levels are rising, impacting the Maine coast. We are even seeing flooding when it does not rain.
CNN (17 Feb 2022)
“‘Mind boggling’: See how rising sea levels will affect the coasts” — Rising sea levels could impact the world’s coasts by 2050, a new study says. CNN meteorologist Tom Sater shows “astonishing” images of what that might look like.
ABC Action News (15 Feb 2022)
“Sea level to rise up to a foot by 2050, Interagency report projects” — An interagency sea level rise task force that includes NASA, NOAA, and other federal agencies said Tuesday the ocean height is projected to rise by up to a foot over the next 30 years. [View on YouTube]
Earth Stories (15 Dec 2021)
“Why Are Sea Levels Continuing To Rise?” — Disappearing glaciers, shrinking sea ice, and thawing permafrost is increasing from year to year. This is threatening the planet with loss of drinking water and rising sea levels.
Bloomberg (2 Feb 2021)
“Sea Levels Are Rising Faster Than Most Pessimistic Forecasts” — Climate change is causing oceans to rise quicker than scientists’ most pessimistic forecasts, resulting in earlier flood risks to coastal economies already struggling to adapt. The revised estimates published Tuesday in Ocean Science impact the two-fifths of the Earth’s population who live near coastlines. Insured property worth trillions of dollars could face even greater danger from floods, superstorms and tidal surges. The research suggests that countries will have to rein in their greenhouse gas emissions even more than expected to keep sea levels in check.
NBC News (1 May 2020)
“Rising Sea Levels” — In the past century, as the climate has warmed, sea level rise has accelerated. Scientists predict it will only increase, and they’re studying changes in the ocean and land to better understand how and why the water is rising. “Changing Planet” is produced in partnership with the National Science Foundation.
Channel 4 News (18 Sep 2019)
“Climate crisis: Americans forced to move twice because of rising sea levels” – Now we turn to the shorelines of the US East Coast. Rising sea levels and warmer waters are costing the state of Rhode Island a fortune, jeopardising livelihoods and forcing families to move their homes. And the state was the first to attempt to sue oil companies over the effects of climate change.
Verge Science (23 Apr 2019)
“This is what sea level rise will do to coastal cities” — Sea level rise is already redrawing coastlines around the world. What happens when the coast retreats through a major city? We look at how the world map will change in the year 2100, and what coastal cities can do to defend themselves. Correction: An early version of this video suggested that researchers expect to see four feet of sea level rise by the end of the century. While researchers do expect to see at least that level of sea level rise in the future, the exact timing is difficult to project. We regret the error.
CBC News Canada (18 Jun 2018)
“Rising sea levels will put U.S. homes at risk in near future” — Rising sea levels will put U.S. homes at risk in the near future, according to a study done by the Union of Concerned Scientists. It says more than 310,000 existing homes are projected to be at risk of flooding every two weeks by 2045. The National visited one coastal community to see how it’s dealing with the problem.
CBS (27 Aug 2017)
“Lessons from Holland on fighting rising sea levels” – Windmills are more than just a traditional part of the Dutch landscape; they have played a key role in the war Holland has waged against the sea for centuries. Today the Dutch are using ever-more innovative methods to combat rising sea levels, strategies that may also benefit other nations confronting the effects of climate change. Martha Teichner reports. Originally broadcast on May 21, 2017. [View on YouTube]
France 24 English (27 Jan 2017)
“Climate change: Florida faces rising sea levels” – Florida is the US state that faces the greatest threat from global warming. This is apparent in two of its most iconic locations: the vast wetlands of the Everglades and Miami’s seafront. Both urban areas and fragile ecosystems are under threat from rising sea levels and the destruction of freshwater reserves by seawater infiltration. But some scientists say that if properly protected, Florida’s wetlands could hold the key to a brighter future – not only for the state but for the entire planet. A programme prepared by Patrick Lovett and Elom Marcel Toble.
TEDx Talks (18 Nov 2016)
“The Sea Also Rises: Prepare for a Changing Shoreline” — If you’re on the fence about whether or not the sea rising is real, you better find a taller fence, at least if you plan on watching Eric Morris’s absolutely riveting talk about sea level rise. (You’re going to need that fence’s elevation). Filled with convincing data and unique visualization techniques based on Morris’s work using lidar imagery, this talk is one you’ll want to share.
Science Insider (22 Jun 2016)
“Rising Sea Levels Could Displace Millions Of Americans By 2100” — A recent study published in Nature Climate Change projects that over 4 million residents of the continental US could be affected if sea levels rise 3 feet by the end of the century. The researchers calculated the number of at-risk residents by looking at coastal areas expected to be inundated by sea-level rise and estimating the population of those regions in 2100 using population-trend data.
PBS NewsHour (2 Jul 2015)
“Two cities, two very different responses to rising sea levels” — While New York City is taking aggressive action to prevent future catastrophes like Hurricane Sandy, other vulnerable cities, such as Charleston, South Carolina, are not tackling the threat of rising sea level and climate change with the same urgency. Special correspondent Jackie Judd reports.
South Florida PBS (17 Jan 2014)
“South Florida’s Rising Seas – Sea Level Rise Documentary” — Two SJMC faculty, Kate MacMillin and Juliet Pinto, explore the narrative of a South Florida community under threat from sea level rise in this half-hour documentary.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (22 Jun 2012)
“Sea-level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, Future” — Tide gauges show that global sea level has risen about 7 inches during the 20th century, and recent satellite data show that the rate of sea-level rise is accelerating. As Earth warms, sea levels are rising mainly because ocean water expands as it warms; and water from melting glaciers and ice sheets is flowing into the ocean. Sea-level rise poses enormous risks to the valuable infrastructure, development, and wetlands that line much of the 1,600 mile shoreline of California, Oregon, and Washington. As those states seek to incorporate projections of sea-level rise into coastal planning, they asked the National Research Council to make independent projections of sea-level rise along their coasts for the years 2030, 2050, and 2100, taking into account regional factors that affect sea level. [Report]