A new study shows several coastal North Carolina communities could face regular high-tide flooding within the next 20 years.
The findings by the Union of Concerned Scientists show that 13 coastal communities face the possibility of flooding every other week on average by 2035. Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks is among the potentially affected areas.
By the end of the century, much of the coastline from Morehead City to the Virginia border could face a similar fate, as would hundreds of other communities along the U.S. coastline.
The increased flooding is based on projections of rising sea levels tied to carbon emissions.
The science group, founded in 1969, says there are steps that can be taken to help. That includes limiting development in flood-prone areas, preserving natural ecosystems and creating funds to assist people in relocating.