Rincon at low tide © Miles Jackler

Rincon as we know her would be gone. Rising sea levels could affect up to 6 million in Florida alone.

Surf News Network, February, 2017 – If current projections from a study are correct, by the year 2100 many low-tide-only and other surfspots will dissappear, along with millions of homes. Researchers assessed sea level change scenarios using data from the U.S. Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The study’s lead author, University of Georgia demographer Mathew Hauer told Planet Ark that these estimates put the number of displaced at three times that of previous calculations.

With a sea level rise of 3 feet, locations that house 4.2 million people are at risk of inundation by rising sea levels. If that rise hits 6 feet, the number of displaced would more than double to 13.1 million – mostly due to densely populated regions in Florida. Louisiana sees 1.29 million at risk while California clocks in 1 million people at risk.

“As the sea level rises, coastal parts of Florida will be inundated,” University of Georgia geography professor Deepak Mishra, one of the researchers said in the article.

“Sea level rise is the phenomenon that makes climate change a reality for millions of people worldwide. The sheer volume of people at risk of displacement and becoming climate refugees is the main threat.”

And for surf spots? Say goodbye to firing low-tide Rincon, Mundaka and many spots in Santa Cruz.

SOURCE:

Planet Ark