Scientists have issued a stark warning about the future of coastal cities worldwide, with one in every 50 Americans in nearly 25 coastal cities at risk of excessive flooding due to sinking land and rising sea levels. This phenomenon, known as the “Sinking Syndrome,” is a growing concern for cities on both the East Coast and the Gulf Coast of the United States.
The East Coast is particularly vulnerable, with cities such as New York City, Atlantic City, Virginia Beach, Charleston, and Savannah experiencing alarming rates of land subsidence. This sinking effect, combined with the rising sea levels, could expose up to 343,000 acres of land to destructive flooding by 2050. The Gulf Coast is also at risk, with as much as a third of sea level rise in this region over the next three decades potentially due to the sinking effect. Southern Louisiana and southeast Texas, including areas around Galveston, Freeport, and Corpus Christi, are hot spots for sinking land.
Groundwater extraction is a primary driver of coastal subsidence, with cities and industries pumping water from underground aquifers faster than they can be replenished. Excessive pumping lowers the water table and causes the overlying land to sink.