Rising sea levels to swallow Miami, New Orleans and other US cities, shows study

Say goodbye to Miami and New Orleans. No matter what we do to curb global warming, these and other beloved US cities will sink below rising seas, according to a study. But making extreme carbon cuts and moving to renewable energy could save millions of people living in iconic coastal areas of the United States, said the findings in the October 12 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed US journal. Scientists have already established that if we do nothing to reduce our burning of fossil fuel up to the year 2100, the planet will face sea level rise of 14ft-32ft (4.3 metres - 9.9m), said lead author Ben Strauss, vice president for sea level and climate impacts at Climate Central.

Just think of a pile of ice in a warm room. You know it is going to melt, but it is harder to say how quickly.

Ben Strauss, vice president for sea level and climate impacts at Climate Central

The big uncertainty is the issue of when. "Some of this could happen as early as next century,“ Strauss said. "But it might also take many centuries,” he added. An online tool at Climate Central allows users to see the impacts on various US cities. A global version is expected in the next month, Strauss said. Miami’s low elevation and porous limestone foundation mean that sea walls and levees will not help, he said. After Florida, the next three most affected states are California, Louisiana and New York. One beloved American city, New Orleans, home to jazz music and some of the nation’s most beloved cuisine, is already sinking.

New Orleans is a really sad story. It is a lot worse looking than Miami.

Ben Strauss

Science global warming