South Carolina map shows how state could go underwater from sea level rise

A map shows how parts of South Carolina could be submerged by water as sea levels rise because of climate change.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that by the year 2100, global sea levels could rise by up to 3.6 feet if greenhouse gas emissions are not mitigated. It added that a rise of about 6.6 feet “cannot be ruled out.”

The map by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) allows users to see how different parts of the United States would be affected if sea levels rose by various amounts.

South Carolina has numerous rivers and estuaries, particularly along its coastline. If sea levels were to rise by 3 feet, water would begin encroaching the land in these areas. The areas along the South Edisto River would be particularly affected, with large parts submerged completely.

If sea levels were to rise by 6 feet, many more areas along the coast would be inundated by water, including parts of the well-known barrier islands Hilton Head and Kiawah, which would be almost entirely submerged.

Charleston, the state’s most populous port city, is threaded by dozens of rivers and creeks, and would also be badly affected by rising sea levels. Large parts of the city would be submerged if sea levels rose by 6 feet, particularly its downtown areas, which could affect many of the city’s roughly 150,000 residents.

These coastal areas are particularly vulnerable due to their low elevation and susceptibility to storm surges, which is the rise in seawater level caused by a storm.

States along the coasts of the Southern U.S. are at particular risk of sea level rise, according to data from the NOAA.

Sea levels rose around Charleston by 7.1 inches between 2010 and 2023. That was four times the rate of the previous 30 years, showing that the rate is accelerating.

The rises are primarily caused by the melting of ice caps into the ocean due to warming temperatures. The level at which sea levels will rise will be impacted by whether global action is taken to slow climate change.

Charleston is also experiencing sinking land, known as land subsidence, which happens partly due to natural geological processes and also from human activities such as the extraction of groundwater from deep in the earth.

The city has adopted a Sea Level Rise Strategy, which involves planning for future water inundation by modifying infrastructure, raising streets and sea walls, along with other initiatives such as acquiring repetitive loss properties and using these lowlands to absorb future waterways.

NOAA oceanographer William Sweet previously told Newsweek in an emailed response: “NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer is a versatile mapping platform that provides insights on what lies in harm’s way—either from on-going sea level rise or flooding from full-moon tides to hurricane storm surges.

“Due to decades of sea level rise, high tides are drowning wetlands and routinely flooding U.S. coastal communities, disrupting commutes and commerce and requiring extensive upgrades to public works like storm- and waste-water systems.”