Interactive Map Show Which Texas Cities Will Be Under Water in 50 Years

When we think of a shrinking coastline, we tend to think more about the shrinking coastline of our neighbors in Louisiana, but Texas is also shrinking thanks to rising waters.

Our state is not only shrinking due to rising waters, though, Texas is also eroding. "The average erosion rate for the 367 miles of Texas coast is 4.1 feet per year. Sixty-four percent of the Texas coast is eroding at an average rate of about 6 feet per year, with some locations losing more than 30 feet per year." According to Texas.gov.

What does an eroding coastline mean to Texans?

• Property values decrease and homes and businesses are lost.
• Tourism suffers and local economies feel the impact.
• Farming and fishing industries are impacted.
• Ports, roads, and industrial infrastructure are at risk.
• Without healthy beaches, dunes, and wetlands to protect the coast, there is day-to-day wear and the impact of major storms like Hurricane Ike is far more severe.

Fortunately, we've already got a few heroes fighting against the rising sea. The Texas General Land Office is tasked with controlling coastal erosion by:

• Implementing coastal erosion response projects and related studies through the Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act (CEPRA) program and other grant programs at the Land Office.
• Maximizing federal, state, and local resources, the Land Office works with all coastal stakeholders to fight erosion where it makes economic sense to do so.

But, in this case, many think we can only slow down Mother Nature. The most recent climate projections suggest Texas will experience 10 to 12 inches of sea level rise by 2050, which could drastically change things for our coast.

How Much of Texas Could Be Under Water?

There's a quite interesting map you'll be interested to see. It was created by climate researchers at Climate Center, an organization of scientists and journalists studying the impacts of climate change on the world. "Their goal is to show what the future holds for coastal communities as sea level rise." According to their interactive map here's what the Texas coastline will look like in 50 years: