North Carolina's inland cities could have an unforeseen influx of residents from the coast due to sea level rise.
A report from the University of Georgia studied the impact that rising sea levels could have on migration over the next 80 years. It says counties like Wake and Mecklenburg could see 100,000 more residents than current projections predict.
Meanwhile, some coastal counties will lose more people than expected. Mathew Hauer, the study's author, said the estimates are based on six feet of sea-level rise by the year 2100.
“You have places like Dare, Carteret, and Craven that could all lose considerable amounts of people...tens of thousands,” Hauer said. “Then you also have places like Tyrrell County, which could lose upwards of 80 percent of its population.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says projections of sea-level rise vary between one and eight feet over the next 80 years.