Sea Level Rose at Almost All of US Coasts in 2019

The sea level rose at nearly all U.S. coastline measurement stations in 2019, leaving scientists to warn that the likelihood that heavy flooding will strike is becoming more likely.

According to the measurements, 25 of the 32 tide-gauge stations along the coastline, spanning from Maine to Florida on the East Coast, the states along the Gulf of Mexico, and the West Coast including Alaska, showed rising sea levels, reports The Guardian, quoting researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS).

The Gulf of Mexico measuring stations marked the largest rises, with Grand Isle, Louisiana, showing a 7.93-millimeter annual increase, followed by the Texas cities of Galveston and Rockport.

The levels are rising faster on the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico compared to the West Coast because the land along the Eastern Seaboard is sinking. The researchers said the levels started to climb in 2013 or 2014, and was likely caused by ice sheet loss and ocean dynamics.

Around the world, the sea level is also rising because of global heating. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is also reporting sea levels may continue to grow by as much as 8.2 feet by 2100, compared with levels in the year 2000.

"Although sea level has been rising very slowly along the West Coast, models have been predicting that it will start to rise faster," VIMS marine scientist Molly Mitchell said. "The report cards from the past three years support this idea."

"We have increasing evidence from the tide-gauge records that these higher sea-level curves need to be seriously considered in resilience-planning efforts," Mitchell said, adding that the West Coast will also start seeing more rapid sea level rises.

NOAA's lower level sea rise is projected at about 12 inches by 2100, which could cause serious issues for cities like Miami and New York.

• Report: Large Antarctic Glacier May Break Off Into Sea Soon
• Antarctica Melt Has Accelerated 280 Percent in Past 40 Years