Surge in sea level to affect 14 mn people

A study estimates 1-metre sea level rise by 2100 would affect people along southeast Atlantic coast, from Norfolk in Virginia to Miami in Florida

Climate-driven hazards are likely to increase risk for millions of coastal residents, finds a study on Thursday.

Published in the journal Nature Climate Change, the study estimates that a 1-metre sea level rise by 2100 would affect over 14 million people along the Southeast Atlantic coast, from Norfolk, Virginia, to Miami, Florida.

It showed that by 2100, 70 per cent of the coastal population will also be exposed to shallow or emerging groundwater -- a far more significant exposure than daily flooding.