Climate Catastrophe? Here's What the U.S. Could Look Like in 2100

Northeast: Virginia to Maine

What we could see in 2100: Harsher storms, extreme sea level rise and flooding

The Northeastern U.S. will experience rising temperatures and harsher but less frequent storms if global warming remains unchecked, and will be more vulnerable to sea level rise and flooding than other coastal areas around the country.

The largest metropolitan areas along the seaboard are especially at risk for stronger storms and flooding. "Models suggest that in the future the normal weather patterns that we now have will shift north," says Trenberth. This could extend the risk of hurricanes, though they would be rare, from southern cities such as New Orleans and coastal areas in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas to cities as far north as New York and Boston.

East Coast cities will also be more affected by sea level rise than other areas of the U.S. "Today's coastal areas will be very different by the end of this century if we do nothing," says Hurrell. "On average, global sea levels will go up two to three feet." But scientists expect that in some coastal cities, such as Boston and New York, complex ocean currents that will change as our climate changes will add an extra 8 inches to that increase in water level. Rising sea levels could flood subways and underground sewage and transportation systems if left unchecked. Or, these cities could become similar to New Orleans, in that they'd need to build infrastructure like levees to protect them from rising sea levels.

An increase in the number of extreme storms would cause public health issues by creating a higher risk of waterborne illnesses such as cryptosporidiosis and giardia, says Knowlton. Add increased temperatures to the mix and the future just gets darker. Some estimates suggest that at our current rate of climate change, temperature in the Northeast will increase as much as 6 degrees Fahrenheit by century's end. That will make the public health risks during heat waves immeasurably worse than they already are today.