Sea level at Jersey Shore could rise 6 feet by 2100, study finds
TRENTON, New Jersey (WABC) -- A new study illustrates the environmental danger facing the Jersey Shore.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection released the study Thursday predicting a dramatic rise in the sea level along the state's coast.
The DEP said the sea level could be more than a foot higher in 2030 than it was in 2000, two feet higher by 2050, and it could be more than six feet higher by the year 2100.
The numbers are based on estimates of emissions of greenhouse gases.
The study said New Jersey has been disproportionately affected by climate change, with the state's sea-level rise projections more than two times the global average.
"New Jersey is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and we must work together to be more resilient against a rising sea and future storms," said Governor Phil Murphy. "The data presented in this report will not only guide the Interagency Council's decisions, but will also advise future generations of leaders on how to best mitigate the devastating effects of climate change."
The report also said that wind speeds and precipitation from nor'easters are likely to increase.
The Rising Seas and Changing Coastal Storms study was commissioned by DEP and prepared by Rutgers University.
----------
