Sea Level Rise Could Plunge 20 N.J. Towns Underwater, Report Says

By the end of this century, at least least 20 New Jersey communities could be underwater - and a number of others could be almost completely surrounded by the seas.

A newly published sea level rise scenario says hundreds of American landmarks, neighborhoods, towns and cities would be submerged this century, at least in "the absence of engineering massive, costly and unprecedented defenses and relocating major infrastructure."

Ocean waters would cover land currently home to more than 12 million Americans and $2 trillion in property by 2100.

This extreme rise scenario, considered "unlikely but increasingly plausible," was composed in a report by the National and Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and published by the scientific publication Climate Central this past week.

NOAA said the impacts could be devastating for these landmarks: Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; MIT and the U.S. Naval Academy; JFK and SFO; and the Jefferson Memorial and Mar-a-Lago.

More than 99 percent of today’s population in 252 coastal towns and cities would have their homes submerged, and property of more than half the population in 479 additional communities would also be underwater," according to the report. In New York City, an average high tide would be 2 feet higher than Sandy’s flood level, covering an area currently inhabited by more than 800,000 residents. Florida would be the most affected state by total population, followed by New York, California, Virginia, and New Jersey."

These findings all reflect local sea level projections through 2100. Here are the New Jersey towns that would be most impacted - where at least 80 percent of the population would be impacted:

• Atlantic City 100%
• Longport 100%
• Margate City 100%
• Moonachie 100%
• North Wildwood 100%
• Ocean City 100%
• Ocean Gate 100%
• Seaside Heights 100%
• Seaside Park 100%
• Strathmere 100%
• Teterboro 100%
• Ventnor City 100%
• West Wildwood 100%
• Wildwood 100%
• Wildwood Crest 100%
• Brigantine 100%
• Stone Harbor 100%
• Sea Isle City 100%
• Avalon 100%
• Dover Beaches South (section of Toms River) 100%
• Diamond Beach 135 99%
• Sea Bright 99%
• Surf City 99%
• Hancocks Bridge 99%
• Beach Haven 99%
• Bay Head 99%
• Lavallette 98%
• North Beach Haven 98%
• Port Monmouth 98%
• West Cape May 98%
• Salem 97%
• Ship Bottom 97%
• Cape May Point 97%
• Keansburg 97%
• Pennsville 97%
• Dover Beaches North (section of Toms River) 96%
• Cape May 96%
• Beach Haven West 95%
• Mantoloking 95%
• Port Norris 95%
• North Middletown 93%
• Barnegat Light 93%
• Harvey Cedars 93%
• Monmouth Beach 93%
• Little Ferry 90%
• Point Pleasant Beach 90%
• Union Beach 89%
• Burlington 89%
• Forked River (Lacey Township) 84%
• Gibbstown 84%
• Penns Grove 83%
• Waretown 81%

Patch file photo