HOW DO SEA-LEVEL CHANGES AFFECT SOCIETY?
When it was first constructed in 1870, the lighthouse in Cape Hatteras, North Carolina was 1,500 feet from the shore. By 1987, the lighthouse was only 160 feet from the sea. In 1999, the National Park Service moved the lighthouse back 2,900 feet at a cost of $9.8 million.[1] There are about 10,000 structures within the estimated 10-year erosion zone (land expected to erode within 10 years). There are 87,000 structures within the estimated 60-year erosion zone. There are 338,000 structures within 500 feet of the shoreline. Fifty percent of these structures are situated on the Atlantic coast, 13 percent are on the Gulf, 20 percent on the Pacific coast and 17 percent are on the Great Lakes.[2] Especially susceptible are areas along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines, which are expected to account for 60 percent of nationwide losses.[3] The average annual erosion rate on the Atlantic coast is approximately 2 to 3 feet. States bordering the Gulf of Mexico have the highest average er
