Research
Rising seas could threaten coastal homes sooner than flood maps suggest
Earth.com · By Sanjana Gajbhiye ·
The Brief
- A study of Oʻahu found that sea level rise maps assuming only land below future ocean level floods miss 62% to 73% of land at risk when seas rise by less than 4 feet (1.2 meters).
- The study was reported by Earth.com on 2026-11-14.
- The research was led by Anna Mikkelsen, a graduate student, as described in the source excerpt.
Why it matters
Flood risk assessments that rely on simple bathtub-style inundation maps may understate exposure of coastal homes to sea level rise, which could affect planning and hazard mapping.
Who’s affected
- coastal planners and hazard mapping agencies
- coastal homeowners and residents of low-lying islands
- researchers in coastal hydrology and sea level rise
- #sea level rise
- #coastal flooding
- #flood mapping
- #oahu
- #coastal hazards
Most sea level rise maps assume that only land below the future ocean level will flood. A new study of Oʻahu found that this approach misses 62% to 73% of the land at risk when sea levels rise by less than 4 feet (1.2 meters). Anna Mikkelsen, a graduate student in the Department…
Timeline
Earth.com reports on the Oʻahu study showing flood maps miss 62% to 73% of at-risk land
Earth.com
Rising seas could threaten coastal homes sooner than flood maps suggest