Visualizing Worst-Case Scenario Sea Level Rise on the Texas Coast

Much of the state political leadership in Texas has been slow to accept the existence of climate change, much less the role of the state's economy, land use, and infrastructure planning in exacerbating the crisis. Maybe this will help wake them up?

1 minute read

June 7, 2019, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Gulf Coast

Roschetzky Photography / Shutterstock

Fares Sabawi deployed Climate Central's Google Earth plug-in map to visualize the effect of sea-level rise on the Texas coast, and found bad news for Corpus Christi.

Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, the Google Earth visualization shows vast portions of Corpus Christi under water at the worst-case scenario of eight feet of sea level rise by 2100. 

"In Corpus Christi, much of downtown and North Beach would be submerged, according to the data. Landmarks like the Selena Memorial Statue, Heritage Park and the Texas State Aquarium would essentially be underwater," according to Sabawi.

A slideshow preceding the article, showing similarly catastrophic effects for other coastal cities in Texas, is the star of the post.

Monday, June 3, 2019 in My San Antonio

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of full beer glass with purple train-themed design sitting on bar between two frosty tall cans.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?

TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

3 hours ago - Cities Today

Vintage red Toronto streetcar passing in front of Rogers Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events

Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

4 hours ago - blogTO

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

5 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.