Each year, the global sea level rises roughly 3mm a year. That might seem like very little, yet when you consider that the ocean accounts for 360 million square kilometers of area, a huge amount of water is joining the oceans each year.

The coastal USA is now between 300 and 900% more likely to be hit by unusual weather patterns, which is scary if you consider the fact that roughly a third of americans live along coastal areas.

While I was researching, I found an [extremely scary image](http://www.nexialinstitute.com/floodcap.jpg) depicting what the world could look like if the sea level were to rise 100 meters.

I live in Houston, TX, and my family and many of my friends spend a lot of time on Galveston Island or the surrounding area. The rising sea level presents a huge problem to the people that live there and my community. According to the EPA, the sea level along the Texas coast is expected to rise two to five feet in the next century if we don't lower the temperature of oceans and the atmosphere. The rising sea levels will not only force people to relocate, but they can intensify tropical storms and hurricanes. Not only are cities and airports at risk, but important ports and oil and gas facilities are at risk. If these ports or facilities are destroyed, what effect will it have on the economy? The rising sea level may not effect us directly in our lifetime, but we need to be thinking about how it will impact future generations.

I live in Houston as well and I agree with Maggie. The fact that the rising sea level could someday swallow our small beach town of Galveston is a very scary thought. Many of my peers have homes and condos there. Also, Galveston is an important port for Texas. Without it, our economy would most definitely be affected for worse. As well as those two things, Maggie said something that stuck with me. If the sea level rises, the storms it brings will become heavier and more intense. We already suffered traumatic damage during Hurricane Harvey- anything worse than that might kill us all.

I as well live in the Houston area. After all of the hurricanes that have been occurring across the US this is a very scary thought. Many of my family and friends have been greatly impacted by Harvey alone and to think that future generations may have to deal with worse is terrible. Many people live along the coast and even more are moving. This may put even more people in danger.

The comments from Pablo, Maggie, Emily, and Alexa point out how we have seen first-hand the effects of climate change on our extreme weather events.

I used to live in Houston. I've only moved out recently so I still remember a lot about the area. I had lots of friends in Houston that was severely affected by Hurricane Harvey. Many homes were flooded and destroyed. I have a family friend whose house was flooded an entire two stories up. The high school I was supposed to go to got completely demolished by the strong flood waters. The students there can't go there for another year because it is being rebuilt. This is a prime example of how climate change is gradually changing the way we live our lives. Whether that be building a wave wall or making houses with sturdier frames, it is still changing us in some way. And in the future, the changes will become more and more significant and large as the years pass on and climate change becomes an even larger issue. #HoustonStrong.