Rising sea levels can wipe off more than 6000 beach houses in NJ by 2050, study predicts

The New Jersey coast is particularly vulnerable to sea level rise, according to the most recent study, which estimates that by 2050, 53 square miles of land that is currently above water will be submerged at high tide, potentially swallowing 6,125 structures. Tens of thousands of more properties that are still above that level will also be subject to intermittent or continuous flooding. Landowners may find that their properties could be claimed by the government if they fall below what is known as the boundary tide line, which is the line separating private property from public tidelands and waters. The study by Climate Central raises concerns about the impact on municipal tax bases and potential conflicts as a result. With the rising sea levels, that boundary shifts inland. According to the report, these shifting boundary lines have "substantial ramifications" for local property tax revenues, which serve as a major source of funding for services like schools. “The trick is that those tide lines are moving,” Bain said. “They’re gradually moving inland and upslope as the overall water level is increasing. As they move, they take property.” He clarified that disputes might occur if landowners apply for a building permit and are informed by a municipality that they cannot build on their property because it has essentially turned into public property. Conflict could also arise if a property owner receives tax bills for an unusable, underwater property. New Jersey is also faced with sinking land due to its geology. The impact is made worse as a result of the land subsiding and the Atlantic Ocean rising. “People need to get used to the idea that flooding is going to be permanent,” Bain said. “People are used to the concept of a flood being something that comes and goes and leaves behind a mess, but then the water goes away. What we’re talking about here is that when the water comes in, it stays.”