U.S. Coasts Should Prepare for 1 Foot of Sea Level Rise by 2060

There's still time to act: lowering emissions and limiting warming can prevent a worst-case scenario with sea level rise. Oceanographers like William Sweet from NOAA expect sea levels to rise an average of 1 foot by 2060 along coasts of the United States, but how much higher the water line will go in the future is less certain. "It's really dependent upon future emissions and future heating," Sweet says.