Chesapeake Bay is a beautiful and important body of water. It is partly in the American states of Maryland, and partly in Virginia. Sadly, Chesapeake Bay is in trouble. Over the next 80 years, it could rise by 0.6 to 1.2 (two to four feet).

Scientists with a group called CSSPAR have been studying the Chesapeake for years. They are worried by what they have found.

Chesapeake Bay is part of a bigger problem. Sea levels around the world are rising. This is happening because the world is getting hotter. Scientists call this global warming. As temperatures rise, polar ice is melting. Freshwater is pouring into the world's oceans.

Oceans used to rise 12.7 to 20.3 centimeters (five to eight inches) every 100 years. Now, they are rising much faster.

Land is Sinking, Water is Rising

Chesapeake Bay is facing an extra problem, though. Land beneath the bay is sinking. As the land sinks, the water level rises. As a result, the bay's water level is rising much faster than average.

What will happen if it continues to rise at the same speed? The bay would flood the land for miles around. Two million homes could be destroyed. Many people could be killed.

Not only people are in danger. Many kinds of birds, animals and fish could also lose their habitat.

Effects of Storms will Become Worse

A higher water level in the bay is causing stronger storm surges. A storm surge is a sudden rise in sea level. Such rises are caused by storms. They make flooding far worse.

Global warming is not just causing rising sea levels. It is also changing weather patterns. Storms are happening more often. They are getting bigger too.

CSSPAR compared a 1933 storm to a 2003 storm. The 2003 storm was called Isabel. The two storms hit the same coastal area with the same force. But the storm surge from Isabel was much higher. It was 2.4 meters (eight feet) above normal water levels.

What will happen if a storm like Isabel hits the Chesapeake 70 years from now? The sea will be 0.6 meters (two feet) higher by then.

The flooding would be worse than anything ever seen before.

Isabel caused an eight-foot-high flood in Alexandria, Virginia. Add another 0.6 meters (two feet) to the bay. The flood would then be three meters (10 feet) high. Highways would be underwater. Buildings would be destroyed. Many people would lose their lives.

Technology will Help People Stay Safe

Scientist Sean O'Connor sees some reason for hope, though. He believes new technologies will help reduce deaths when future storms hit. Weather satellites and GPS will show how strong a surge will be. They will show how long it will last. People will be able to get out of the way in time, O'Connor thinks.