Virginia Map Shows Where State Could Be Underwater From Sea Level Rise

An interactive map shows how parts of Virginia could be submerged in water if sea levels continue to rise, as experts warn that coastal areas are at particular risk of the .

The map by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration allows users to visualize how different parts of the state would be affected if sea levels rose by varying amounts.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) forecasts that global sea levels would likely rise by up to 3.61 feet by the year 2100. It adds that a rise of around 6.6 feet “cannot be ruled out.”

This map shows the current sea levels of Virginia. NOAA

According to projections on the NOAA map, if sea levels rose by 3 feet, Virginia’s coastal and riverbank areas would begin to be encroached by water.

If they rose by 6 feet, many of these areas would be heavily submerged, including parts of the state’s three most populous cities, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk.

These densely populated areas are home to nearly 1 million people.

Virginia’s Eastern Shore would also be affected, and several islands in Chesapeake Bay would find themselves completely underwater.

This map shows how Virginia would look if sea levels rose by 6 feet. NOAA

The Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads region are experiencing the highest rate of sea level rise on the Atlantic coast, according to the NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management.

The area, which is a popular tourist destination, also houses the world’s largest naval station, Naval Station Norfolk.

To complicate matters further, Virginia is also sinking. The problem, known as land subsidence, is partly due to natural geological processes and also from human activities such as the extraction of groundwater from deep in the earth.

A study by Virginia Tech showed that in some areas, the land in Hampton Roads is sinking faster than the rising sea.

The state is taking action to combat these risks.

The Virginia Beach City Council published its Sea Level Wise Adaptation Strategy in 2020, which laid out plans to prepare for higher tides and flooding risks.

The plan involved introducing new construction standards, with critical infrastructure like hospitals needing to prepare for 3 feet of sea level rise and other developments required to plan for 1.5.

The rates at which sea levels rise could vary based on what actions are taken to, for instance, mitigate climate change, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

NOAA oceanographer William Sweet previously told Newsweek in an emailed response: “NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer is a versatile mapping platform that provides insights on what lies in harm’s way—either from ongoing sea level rise or flooding from full-moon tides to hurricane storm surges.

“Due to decades of sea level rise, high tides are drowning wetlands and routinely flooding U.S. coastal communities, disrupting commutes and commerce and requiring extensive upgrades to public works like storm- and wastewater systems.”

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