# Rising seas could threaten coastal homes sooner than flood maps suggest

Source: [Earth.com](https://www.earth.com/earth-science/rising-seas-could-threaten-coastal-homes-sooner-than-flood-maps-suggest/) · 2026-11-14 · Earth & Climate
Page: https://themorning.science/story/rising-seas-could-threaten-coastal-homes-sooner-than-flood-maps-suggest-77d0607a43546017
Kind: research · Impact: medium

## In 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.

## Timeline

- 2026-11-14: Earth.com reports on the Oʻahu study showing flood maps miss 62% to 73% of at-risk land

## Coverage

- [Rising seas could threaten coastal homes sooner than flood maps suggest](https://www.earth.com/earth-science/rising-seas-could-threaten-coastal-homes-sooner-than-flood-maps-suggest/) — Earth.com, 2026-11-14

Tags: sea level rise, coastal flooding, flood mapping, oahu, coastal hazards

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Brief generated by AI (claude-haiku-5-5) from the reporting listed under Coverage. Headlines belong to their publishers. The Morning Science – https://themorning.science