How does climate change affect Marylands environment?
Maryland’s people, wildlife, land and public investments are at risk due to expected consequences of climate change including sea level rise, increased storm intensity, extreme drought and heat waves, and intensified wind and rainfall events. Due to its geography and geology, the Chesapeake Bay region is ranked the third most vulnerable to sea level rise, behind Louisiana and Southern Florida. Historic tide records show that sea level increased approximately one foot in the Chesapeake Bay over the last one hundred years. As a consequence of climate change, sea level is likely to rise at least twice as fast as it did during the 20th century, resulting in potentially 1-foot rise by 2050 and between 2-3 feet of rise by 2100.
