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Major cities on the US Atlantic coast are sinking.

New York City, along with Long Island and other coastal regions, is facing a scary reality: it’s sinking. Buildings and natural processes are causing the land to drop at a worrying 2mm per year, raising concerns about flooding and long-term viability, according to the study.

The research highlights the impact that sinking land can have on major metropolitan areas like Baltimore, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach. These coastal cities are already prone to flooding, and the sinking land only adds to the danger.

While the sinking may seem gradual, the researchers emphasize that the impacts are real and threaten the future of these regions. It’s a wake-up call for policymakers and residents alike to address this growing problem.

“We measured subsidence rates of 2 mm per year, affecting more than 2 million people and 800,000 properties on the East Coast,” Virginia Tech professor and researcher Manoochehr Shirzaei said. “We know to some extent that the land is sinking. Through this study, we highlight that the sinking of the land is not an intangible threat. It affects you, me, and everyone; it may be gradual, but the impacts are real.”

The recently published research in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences also underscores that subsidence, or the rate of sinking, is happening at a remarkable 2 millimeters per year in numerous locations.

The study’s authors emphasize the significant threat posed by this hazard to major metropolitan cities like New York, Baltimore, and Norfolk, where increasing sea levels directly intersect with densely populated areas and valuable properties. Their research aims to contribute crucial quantitative data for the planning of coastal disaster resilience. Infrastructure failure not only carries severe environmental consequences but also has the potential to lead to substantial loss of life.