Parts of NYC could be underwater by 2100. Map shows areas that are most at risk.
NEW YORK -- Some New York City neighborhoods could be underwater in less than 80 years, according to a new report.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's new interactive map shows which parts of the city are the most threatened by rising sea levels.
NYC neighborhoods could be underwater in 80 years
NOAA predicts sea levels in Battery Park City and on the East Side of Manhattan will rise between 2.5 feet and 6.5 feet by the year 2100.
"That's crazy to even picture," said Nef Garcia, who lives in Battery Park City.
"Typically, comes from the uncertainty in how fast the melting of glaciers in places like Greenland and Antarctica will actually happen," said Daniel Zarrilli, a climate and sustainability professor at Columbia University.
NYC invests billions in climate resiliency
New York City has invested billions in infrastructure resiliency in the last decade to help secure the landscape.
For example, the Battery Coastal Resilience project, a $200 million undertaking, aims to reduce the impact of future storms like Superstorm Sandy and protect Battery Park from rising sea levels.
The project will elevate a stretch of shoreline by 5 feet, while ensuring waterfront access for visitors and boats that ferry people to Liberty Island.
Every coastal city faces rising sea levels
Experts say every coastal city will deal with some sea level rise, and it will take an across-the-board effort to help minimize it.
"Greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from the coal, oil, gas that we continue to put into the atmosphere for the rest of the century," said Zarrilli.
"There are things that can be done as well, but sometimes it's difficult," said Manish Patel, from the U.K.
"Gotta live with it, take it day by day, and if it does happen, it happens," said William Rubio, of Fort Lee, New Jersey.
Click here for more information about NOAA's rising sea level mapping tool.
