The east coast is sinking – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
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The East Coast is sinking.

In May, we wrote that New York City is sagging by about 1–2mm per year, per a US Geological Survey study. That’s not all.

The so-called subsidence rate of the whole East Coast is as high as 5mm a year, according to a study published in PNAS Nexus and cited by Ars Technica this morning.

Even the very levees meant to protect people from worsening storm surges and climate change-induced sea level rise are sinking, say the researchers.

A chart showing levees on the East Coast and their subsidence rates. The highest in this partial screenshot shows Atlantic Coast levees sinking by a median 4.27mm per year.
A partial screenshot of this chart from the study shows subsidence rates of various East Coast levees.
Screenshot: Wes Davis / The Verge
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