American Counties at Risk of Flooding from Climate Change

A recent study revealed that roughly 13 million Americans could be at risk from risiing seas caused by climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration projects that seas could rise up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) by 2100 in the worst-case scenario, and at least 3-feet (0.9 m) in more optimistic scenarios. Based on projections of population growth in these areas, the worst-case scenario will lead to 13 million climate change refugees in the continental U.S., the study suggests, while a lower sea level rise will displace 4.2 million people in the continental U.S.

Nearly half of the people affected will live in Florida, and under the highest sea level rise, a third of the county of Miami could be forced to relocate, the study suggests. From Miami-Dade County to San Mateo, California, here is the list of places at biggest risk. [Read the full story on the climate change refugees]

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Rank	County	State	People at risk, 3-foot rise	Percent at risk 3-foot rise	People at risk, 6-foot rise	Percent at risk 6-foot rise
1	Miami-Dade	FL	231,336	4.20%	1,967,018	35.90%
2	Broward	FL	102,992	2.50%	1,543,944	36.80%
3	Pinellas	FL	101,613	4.80%	391,872	18.40%
4	Lee	FL	86,027	6.30%	299,514	22.00%
5	Jefferson	LA	196,995	18.90%	289,706	27.80%
6	Nassau	NY	69,607	2.70%	257,560	10.20%
7	San Mateo	CA	190,189	12.40%	249,020	16.20%
8	Orange	CA	65,336	0.90%	225,720	3.20%
9	Charleston	SC	81,943	11.30%	195,698	26.90%
10	Ocean	NJ	86,430	6.50%	176,360	13.40%
11	Alameda	CA	39,530	1.30%	175,522	5.90%
12	Volusia	FL	49,773	4.50%	169,432	15.40%
13	Suffolk	MA	19,735	2.10%	168,000	17.60%
14	Collier	FL	39,703	5.60%	162,433	22.70%
15	Kings	NY	4,376	0.10%	161,564	4.80%
16	Orleans	LA	103,112	17.20%	160,006	26.70%
17	Queens	NY	27,773	0.80%	159,372	4.40%
18	Terrebonne	LA	88,080	36.80%	156,439	65.40%
19	Palm Beach	FL	26,090	0.90%	149,814	5.00%
20	Suffolk	NY	69,625	2.10%	145,291	4.40%
21	Duval	FL	65,402	3.60%	144,058	7.80%
22	City of Virginia Beach	VA	46,017	4.20%	143,226	13.10%
23	Monroe	FL	91,557	54.80%	138,886	83.10%
24	Hillsborough	FL	34,291	1.30%	137,749	5.10%
25	Brevard	FL	44,099	3.50%	134,442	10.70%
26	Atlantic	NJ	45,579	8.80%	128,451	24.80%
27	Galveston	TX	29,487	4.80%	124,626	20.20%
28	Lafourche	LA	88,242	44.20%	122,834	61.60%
29	Hudson	NJ	9,580	1.10%	114,026	12.60%
30	New York	NY	7,315	0.30%	109,045	4.80%
31	Jefferson	TX	57,070	12.40%	108,965	23.70%
32	Charlotte	FL	33,408	8.90%	108,100	28.80%
33	Chatham	GA	49,587	9.50%	96,427	18.40%
34	St. Johns	FL	42,340	10.70%	94,969	24.10%
35	Middlesex	MA	11,697	0.40%	91,589	3.40%
36	Marin	CA	65,508	12.20%	90,049	16.70%
37	Manatee	FL	45,130	6.30%	88,880	12.40%
38	Beaufort	SC	32,639	9.70%	88,281	26.20%
39	St. Charles	LA	53,299	45.90%	82,914	71.40%
40	Sarasota	FL	25,218	2.90%	80,660	9.30%
41	Cape May	NJ	38,168	18.70%	79,345	38.90%
42	St. Mary	LA	45,930	43.50%	75,426	71.50%
43	St. Tammany	LA	36,375	6.90%	75,200	14.30%
44	Monmouth	NJ	25,260	1.90%	74,271	5.70%
45	Bergen	NJ	30,805	1.80%	73,337	4.40%
46	St. Bernard	LA	48,689	47.50%	67,865	66.20%
47	Pasco	FL	30,499	2.90%	67,056	6.30%
48	City of Norfolk	VA	16,531	4.10%	65,140	16.00%
49	Santa Clara	CA	25,897	0.60%	63,845	1.60%
50	City of Hampton	VA	17,797	5.50%	62,778	19.50%
51	Fairfield	CT	18,255	1.10%	57,550	3.30%
52	City of Chesapeake	VA	20,206	3.80%	56,166	10.40%
53	Glynn	GA	23,795	14.40%	48,127	29.00%
54	Ascension	LA	18,912	8.50%	47,474	21.30%
55	St. John the Ba	LA	19,996	19.80%	46,035	45.60%
56	San Diego	CA	13,515	0.20%	45,034	0.60%
57	Essex	MA	18,962	1.50%	44,353	3.50%
58	New Haven	CT	20,360	1.30%	43,303	2.70%
59	Brazoria	TX	19,463	2.90%	42,636	6.30%
60	Indian River	FL	14,722	4.80%	42,588	13.80%
61	Sussex	DE	25,290	6.40%	42,041	10.70%
62	Dare	NC	25,737	32.90%	39,989	51.10%
63	Plymouth	MA	21,344	2.20%	39,512	4.10%
64	Carteret	NC	18,180	12.50%	39,231	26.90%
65	Los Angeles	CA	16,284	0.10%	38,760	0.20%
66	Jackson	MS	26,126	8.30%	38,534	12.30%
67	Martin	FL	15,618	4.60%	37,841	11.20%
68	Solano	CA	17,043	1.90%	36,968	4.10%
69	Bay	FL	15,440	4.20%	36,947	10.00%
70	Middlesex	NJ	16,867	1.00%	35,554	2.10%
71	St. Lucie	FL	16,820	2.80%	35,305	5.80%
72	Worcester	MD	10,987	10.70%	34,872	33.90%
73	San Francisco	CA	3,049	0.30%	33,364	2.90%
74	Anne Arundel	MD	15,047	1.30%	33,019	2.80%
75	New Hanover	NC	16,405	3.90%	32,594	7.70%
76	Camden	NJ	9,424	1.00%	32,476	3.30%
77	Barnstable	MA	12,957	2.70%	30,481	6.20%
78	Burlington	NJ	12,686	1.30%	30,393	3.20%
79	Horry	SC	17,204	3.00%	30,256	5.30%
80	Harris	TX	13,741	0.20%	30,000	0.30%
81	Norfolk	MA	9,793	0.80%	29,527	2.30%
82	Baldwin	AL	21,221	5.50%	29,505	7.70%
83	Clay	FL	12,404	2.90%	29,225	6.90%
84	Baltimore	MD	12,819	0.70%	28,933	1.70%
85	Assumption	LA	23,810	56.70%	28,623	68.20%
86	Salem	NJ	14,527	12.80%	28,095	24.70%
87	Mobile	AL	17,017	2.00%	27,799	3.20%
88	Calcasieu	LA	15,076	3.80%	26,897	6.70%
89	Escambia	FL	12,531	2.00%	26,697	4.20%
90	Orange	TX	14,900	8.30%	26,592	14.80%
91	Vermillion	LA	9,220	8.50%	26,580	24.40%
92	Iberia	LA	15,087	10.30%	26,444	18.10%
93	St. James	LA	18,938	48.00%	25,955	65.80%
94	Santa Rosa	FL	13,769	4.20%	25,921	7.90%
95	New Castle	DE	13,390	1.20%	25,368	2.30%
96	Craven	NC	12,353	5.80%	24,704	11.70%
97	Currituck	NC	16,667	33.20%	24,604	49.00%
98	Grays Harbor	WA	13,438	11.10%	24,227	20.10%
99	Contra Costa	CA	14,145	0.60%	23,572	1.00%
100	Pasquotank	NC	7,209	9.40%	23,399	30.70%
101	Plaquemines	LA	15,578	32.40%	23,331	48.60%
102	Citrus	FL	10,273	3.10%	23,080	7.00%
103	Berkeley	SC	9,425	2.40%	22,960	5.90%
104	Richmond	NY	8,017	0.90%	22,401	2.40%
105	Harrison	MS	13,415	3.30%	22,084	5.50%
106	Okaloosa	FL	7,647	1.90%	21,534	5.20%
107	Flagler	FL	7,714	3.90%	21,369	10.90%
108	Nassau	FL	10,637	6.80%	21,230	13.50%
109	City of Poquoson	VA	8,626	27.70%	21,049	67.60%
110	Bristol	MA	7,538	0.80%	20,665	2.10%
111	Georgetown	SC	11,485	9.40%	18,562	15.20%
112	Westchester	NY	4,462	0.30%	18,346	1.10%
113	Nueces	TX	4,020	0.60%	17,568	2.50%
114	Ventura	CA	1,832	0.10%	17,533	0.90%
115	Onslow	NC	10,031	2.70%	17,479	4.70%
116	Accomack	VA	12,618	22.60%	16,910	30.30%
117	Hancock	MS	10,844	11.10%	16,284	16.70%
118	Beaufort	NC	9,098	9.90%	16,175	17.60%
119	Brunswick	NC	9,170	4.00%	16,057	7.00%
120	Cameron	TX	9,961	1.20%	16,012	1.90%
121	Humboldt	CA	9,491	3.60%	15,974	6.10%
122	City of Portsmouth	VA	3,280	1.80%	15,307	8.40%
123	Gloucester	NJ	6,513	1.10%	15,178	2.60%
124	Livingston	LA	11,024	4.00%	14,933	5.50%
125	Philadelphia	PA	4,603	0.20%	14,925	0.70%
126	Bronx	NY	1,688	0.10%	14,754	0.80%
127	Rockingham	NH	8,151	1.30%	14,438	2.30%
128	Somerset	MD	10,720	27.10%	14,284	36.10%
129	Middlesex	CT	8,931	2.70%	13,791	4.10%
130	Queen Anne's	MD	5,944	6.10%	13,350	13.60%
131	York	VA	5,926	4.20%	13,165	9.20%
132	Camden	GA	6,705	6.20%	13,155	12.10%
133	Union	NJ	3,164	0.40%	12,906	1.40%
134	St. Martin	LA	4,214	4.00%	12,750	12.00%
135	Cumberland	ME	5,868	1.10%	12,749	2.40%
136	New London	CT	5,691	1.10%	12,687	2.40%
137	Chambers	TX	11,960	16.60%	12,568	17.40%
138	Aransas	TX	4,491	8.80%	11,874	23.20%
139	Essex	NJ	459	0.00%	11,752	1.10%
140	Tangipahoa	LA	10,819	4.60%	11,737	4.90%
141	Hernando	FL	7,754	2.00%	11,661	3.00%
142	Cumberland	NJ	6,660	2.50%	11,138	4.20%
143	Snohomish	WA	6,517	0.40%	11,089	0.70%
144	Iberville	LA	4,623	9.30%	10,646	21.30%
145	Cameron	LA	9,039	63.00%	10,457	72.90%
146	City of Newport News	VA	4,573	1.10%	10,372	2.60%
147	Walton	FL	5,126	4.60%	10,301	9.30%
148	Bristol	RI	4,923	5.40%	9,908	10.90%
149	Putnam	FL	6,621	4.00%	9,573	5.80%
150	Dorchester	MD	6,030	10.90%	9,563	17.20%
151	Kent	DE	5,917	1.80%	9,427	2.80%
152	Gloucester	VA	4,941	6.20%	9,420	11.90%
153	City of Suffolk	VA	6,738	3.60%	8,987	4.80%
154	Monterey	CA	2,049	0.20%	8,851	1.00%
155	Dorchester	SC	6,060	2.10%	8,802	3.00%
156	Washington	RI	3,634	1.40%	8,715	3.30%
157	York	ME	5,152	1.30%	8,523	2.20%
158	Wakulla	FL	5,269	8.50%	8,425	13.50%
159	St. Marys	MD	4,410	2.00%	8,191	3.60%
160	Newport	RI	2,713	1.70%	7,846	5.10%
161	Clatsop	OR	5,183	8.00%	7,815	12.10%
162	Pitt	NC	4,092	1.20%	7,797	2.30%
163	Delaware	PA	3,221	0.30%	7,695	0.80%
164	Hyde	NC	6,672	70.50%	7,598	80.20%
165	Calvert	MD	5,352	2.80%	7,594	4.00%
166	Skagit	WA	4,253	1.80%	7,484	3.20%
167	Pender	NC	3,996	3.80%	7,299	6.90%
168	Camden	NC	2,627	14.90%	7,286	41.20%
169	Whatcom	WA	3,495	0.90%	6,846	1.70%
170	Harford	MD	4,174	0.80%	6,751	1.20%
171	Santa Barbara	CA	1,486	0.20%	6,747	0.70%
172	Liberty	GA	4,161	3.00%	6,742	4.80%
173	Prince William	VA	5,137	0.60%	6,695	0.70%
174	Pamlico	NC	3,228	13.10%	6,656	26.90%
175	Bryan	GA	3,906	6.20%	6,622	10.50%
176	Fairfax	VA	3,076	0.10%	6,619	0.30%
177	Talbot	MD	2,312	3.10%	6,609	9.00%
178	Island	WA	3,987	2.30%	6,583	3.80%
179	Acadia	LA	3,556	1.60%	6,448	2.90%
180	McIntosh	GA	4,360	15.70%	6,321	22.80%
181	Coos	OR	2,583	2.20%	6,317	5.50%
182	Wicomico	MD	3,863	2.00%	6,201	3.20%
183	Pierce	WA	1,311	0.10%	6,190	0.40%
184	Tyrrell	NC	4,574	69.40%	6,046	91.80%
185	Kitsap	WA	1,704	0.30%	5,903	1.10%
186	Kent	RI	2,405	0.70%	5,834	1.70%
187	Mathews	VA	2,665	16.20%	5,762	34.90%
188	Isle of Wight	VA	4,710	6.70%	5,599	7.90%
189	Franklin	FL	3,717	17.50%	5,588	26.40%
190	Jefferson Davis	LA	2,632	4.80%	5,074	9.30%
191	King	WA	1,210	0.00%	4,989	0.10%
192	San Patricio	TX	2,638	2.20%	4,916	4.10%
193	Jasper	SC	2,592	5.40%	4,876	10.20%
194	Bucks	PA	2,115	0.20%	4,807	0.30%
195	Washington	NC	3,200	12.70%	4,796	19.10%
196	Thurston	WA	852	0.20%	4,753	0.90%
197	District of Columbia	DC	2,005	0.20%	4,629	0.50%
198	Lafayette	LA	2,406	0.50%	4,565	0.90%
199	James City	VA	3,229	2.50%	4,472	3.50%
200	Cecil	MD	2,547	1.20%	4,414	2.10%
201	Prince Georges	MD	2,869	0.10%	4,366	0.20%
202	City of Alexandria	VA	1,912	0.60%	4,335	1.50%
203	Matagorda	TX	2,461	3.30%	4,303	5.80%
204	Providence	RI	1,200	0.10%	4,242	0.40%
205	Pacific	WA	1,924	5.20%	4,237	11.50%
206	Colleton	SC	1,806	2.40%	3,993	5.30%
207	Clark	WA	1,366	0.10%	3,984	0.40%
208	Napa	CA	3,186	1.10%	3,877	1.30%
209	Rockland	NY	1,721	0.30%	3,699	0.60%
210	Charles	MD	2,419	0.70%	3,638	1.10%
211	Chowan	NC	2,587	9.20%	3,528	12.60%
212	Calhoun	TX	1,756	4.00%	3,508	8.00%
213	Gulf	FL	1,442	5.30%	3,351	12.40%
214	Perquimans	NC	1,429	5.70%	3,293	13.10%
215	Del Norte	CA	146	0.30%	3,277	5.80%
216	Lincoln	OR	1,375	1.40%	3,275	3.40%
217	Santa Cruz	CA	724	0.10%	3,245	0.60%
218	Mercer	NJ	2,100	0.30%	3,099	0.50%
219	Martin	NC	1,194	2.70%	3,051	7.00%
220	Levy	FL	1,975	2.30%	2,978	3.40%
221	Kent	MD	1,630	4.70%	2,953	8.60%
222	Columbia	OR	1,051	1.10%	2,793	3.00%
223	Baltimore City	MD	723	0.10%	2,723	0.30%
224	Dukes	MA	1,083	3.10%	2,621	7.60%
225	Sagadahoc	ME	1,719	2.60%	2,584	3.90%
226	Stafford	VA	1,768	0.60%	2,498	0.90%
227	Sonoma	CA	1,359	0.10%	2,466	0.20%
228	San Luis Obispo	CA	1,332	0.20%	2,444	0.40%
229	Taylor	FL	1,312	3.20%	2,201	5.40%
230	Bertie	NC	1,714	5.00%	2,118	6.20%
231	East Baton Roug	LA	443	0.00%	2,115	0.20%
232	Gates	NC	1,703	8.10%	2,007	9.50%
233	Northampton	VA	1,013	5.70%	1,956	11.00%
234	Multnomah	OR	443	0.00%	1,762	0.10%
235	Lancaster	VA	963	4.40%	1,746	8.00%
236	Columbia	NY	391	0.40%	1,670	1.50%
237	Clallam	WA	738	0.50%	1,648	1.10%
238	Jefferson	WA	713	1.10%	1,600	2.60%
239	Wahkiakum	WA	539	9.10%	1,572	26.70%
240	Northumberland	VA	804	3.40%	1,571	6.70%
241	Ulster	NY	924	0.30%	1,562	0.50%
242	Mason	WA	731	0.60%	1,551	1.30%
243	Dixie	FL	858	2.50%	1,532	4.40%
244	King William	VA	1,115	3.70%	1,490	4.90%
245	Douglas	OR	786	0.40%	1,446	0.70%
246	Hancock	ME	594	0.60%	1,436	1.40%
247	Rensselaer	NY	343	0.10%	1,430	0.50%
248	Dutchess	NY	550	0.10%	1,408	0.20%
249	Hertford	NC	1,017	2.40%	1,402	3.30%
250	West Baton Roug	LA	101	0.20%	1,324	2.90%
251	Westmoreland	VA	753	2.20%	1,290	3.70%
252	Essex	VA	1,021	4.90%	1,277	6.20%
253	Knox	ME	591	0.80%	1,257	1.80%
254	City of Franklin	VA	992	4.60%	1,249	5.80%
255	Orange	NY	462	0.10%	1,242	0.20%
256	Tillamook	OR	740	1.50%	1,172	2.40%
257	Charlton	GA	480	2.10%	1,171	5.20%
258	Caroline	MD	738	1.20%	1,164	2.00%
259	Middlesex	VA	594	2.80%	1,162	5.60%
260	Cowlitz	WA	493	0.30%	1,129	0.60%
261	King George	VA	841	1.80%	1,106	2.30%
262	New Kent	VA	844	2.20%	1,075	2.90%
263	Washington	ME	506	0.90%	1,026	1.90%
264	Strafford	NH	519	0.20%	995	0.40%
265	Greene	NY	596	0.70%	951	1.10%
266	Lincoln	ME	524	0.80%	884	1.40%
267	Southampton	VA	534	2.30%	828	3.60%
268	Richmond	VA	605	4.00%	806	5.40%
269	Nantucket	MA	443	2.00%	801	3.60%
270	Albany	NY	238	0.00%	722	0.10%
271	Hartford	CT	329	0.00%	717	0.00%
272	City of Williamsburg	VA	559	2.20%	680	2.70%
273	Passaic	NJ	186	0.00%	628	0.10%
274	Lane	OR	404	0.10%	610	0.10%
275	Willacy	TX	410	1.30%	522	1.70%
276	Kleberg	TX	189	0.30%	497	0.80%
277	Mendocino	CA	147	0.10%	489	0.30%
278	Hampton	SC	135	0.40%	450	1.30%
279	Somerset	NJ	254	0.00%	440	0.10%
280	Curry	OR	189	0.40%	423	0.90%
281	Jackson	TX	248	1.10%	372	1.60%
282	King and Queen	VA	226	1.90%	359	3.10%
283	San Juan	WA	163	0.50%	349	1.00%
284	Putnam	NY	169	0.10%	347	0.20%
285	Washington	FL	176	0.40%	344	0.70%
286	Gilchrist	FL	121	0.30%	342	1.00%
287	Surry	VA	277	2.30%	335	2.70%
288	Williamsburg	SC	109	0.20%	334	0.60%
289	Penobscot	ME	122	0.00%	304	0.10%
290	Jones	NC	168	1.00%	295	1.70%
291	Seminole	FL	223	0.00%	246	0.00%
292	Waldo	ME	128	0.20%	219	0.30%
293	Victoria	TX	61	0.00%	215	0.10%
294	Jefferson	FL	106	0.40%	206	0.80%
295	Effingham	GA	37	0.00%	202	0.20%
296	Arlington	VA	82	0.00%	187	0.00%
297	Charles City	VA	100	0.70%	175	1.30%
298	Marion	SC	90	0.10%	172	0.30%
299	Refugio	TX	100	1.00%	148	1.50%
300	Columbus	NC	44	0.00%	145	0.10%
301	Edgecombe	NC	68	0.10%	117	0.10%
302	Kenedy	TX	69	10.30%	100	14.90%
303	Lenoir	NC	41	0.00%	99	0.10%
304	Prince George	VA	53	0.10%	69	0.10%
305	Duplin	NC	18	0.00%	68	0.10%
306	Bladen	NC	20	0.00%	52	0.10%
307	Kennebec	ME	26	0.00%	46	0.00%
308	Liberty	FL	24	0.20%	39	0.30%
309	Lake	FL	32	0.00%	32	0.00%
310	Northampton	NC	15	0.00%	26	0.10%
311	DeSoto	FL	19	0.00%	21	0.00%
312	Marion	FL	9	0.00%	15	0.00%
313	St. Landry	LA	7	0.00%	14	0.00%
314	Brantley	GA	5	0.00%	12	0.00%
315	Florence	SC	4	0.00%	10	0.00%
316	Skamania	WA	2	0.00%	7	0.00%
317	Caroline	VA	4	0.00%	6	0.00%
317	Wayne	GA	-	0.00%	6	0.00%
319	Halifax	NC	3	0.00%	5	0.00%