Drone view of houses in Summer Haven, a community in northeast Florida. Sea level rise along Florida’s Atlantic Coast is projected to be different than along the Gulf Coast, or the Pacific, in part because of factors like ocean currents, melting ice sheets, and oil extraction.
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How high will the ocean rise under climate change? By 2050, scientists have a pretty good idea. But why does it matter where you live? And what can humans do to slow it down?
NPR climate correspondent reporter Rebecca Hersher talks to co-host Emily Kwong about how that future will play out in different parts of the country.
This story is part of Nature Quest, our monthly segment that brings you a question from a Short Waver who is noticing a change in the world around them. This question comes from Peter Lansdale in Santa Cruz, Calif.Â
Read more of Rebecca Hersher’s reporting about climate change, flooding, and disaster response here.
To see what the future of the ocean will look like where you live, check out NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer.
Have an environment-based question you want us to investigate on the next Nature Quest? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
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This episode was produced by Hannah Chinn. It was edited by our showrunner, Rebecca Ramirez, and Berly McCoy. Tyler Jones checked the facts. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer. Sam Paulson wrote and composed our Nature Quest theme music.