SEATTLE (AP) — A new report offers more detailed projections for how fast sea levels are expected to rise along Washington state shorelines over the next decades.
The estimates released Monday show what to expect at 171 sites along Puget Sound shorelines and the state’s outer coast each decade through 2150.
The assessment by the Washington Sea Grant and the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group is part of a larger project to help communities prepare for natural events that threaten the coast due to climate change.
The authors calculated the likelihood that sea levels will reach or exceed a certain level for each location and under different greenhouse gas scenarios. They also factored in variations in land movement.
The idea is to help communities and others prepare for changes. Rising sea levels increases the risk of flooding, erosion and storm surges.