Report: Climate Shift Could Profoundly Alter Md. Shore

Climate change could profoundly alter Maryland in the next century, swallowing 200 square miles of low-lying land, making heat waves more deadly, and allowing Southern species to colonize its woodlands and the Chesapeake Bay, according to a new state report.

The “Climate Action Plan,” released today by the state’s Commission on Climate Change, says that “Maryland is poised in a very precarious position” if temperatures continue to warm. It says the state is particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise, because of its long, winding coastline.

“For the first time, we have a very Maryland-specific assessment of what the effects of climate change will be,” Wilson said.

The report said these effects will include:

* Annual average temperatures will go up by three degrees before the middle of this century. In summertime, the report says, this increase could make heat waves longer and more dangerous, with an average of 24 days per summer where temperatures break 100 degrees.

* Rainfall could become more erratic, raising the danger of both flooding, and of drought conditions that strain water supplies. In particular, the report said, it is unclear whether the Washington region will have enough water in summertime, if the Potomac River’s flow is diminished.

* The plants and animals that dominate the state’s forests and waters could shift, as northern species find the area too hot, and southern ones find it more comfortable. More than 34 species of bird could be forced out as the habitat changes, the report said, including the famous Baltimore Oriole.

* Sea levels may rise three feet in this area, as the water goes up, and the land slowly sinks — locally, land has been sinking slowly since the last Ice Age. Large amounts of land could be inundated on the Eastern Shore, especially marshes in low-lying Dorchester County. Even in the Washington area, officials said, waterfront homeowners may have to think about ways to hold back the water.

Washington Post