Fast sea-level rise shifts the Atlantic, threatening 135M Americans

Sea-level rise along America’s coasts is slow but relentless, making it easy to ignore yet increasingly dangerous. Nearly 40% of Americans live in coastal counties, facing threats to housing, roads, schools, water, beaches, military bases, and wildlife. Federal projections warn of 10–12 more inches of sea-level rise by 2050, with some areas seeing even more. Even a foot of rise can turn nuisance floods into regular events, damage infrastructure, and disrupt ecosystems. The shifting boundary between land and sea is already impacting people, animals, and cities along the Atlantic coast.