Rising sea levels are already beginning to seep into American shorelines, with flooding in Florida already under way. But low-lying Louisiana is one of the states that could be most adversely affected by global climate change. For the Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw Native Americans who live there, climate change is no longer a political football, but a very harsh reality. They are fleeing their island reservation because of rising water levels.
The group has called the Isle de Jean Charles home for a century, but are now moving inland with the help of $48 million in federal assistance. Over the last 60 years, the group has lost 98 percent of its land to coastal flooding, erosion, and other effects of rising sea levels. The entire population is now packed into an area less than a square mile, and a population that once numbered around 400 is now down to 100, as the climate issues have led to a diaspora to higher ground.
The new settlement area has yet to be identified, but the group will have the next decade or so to relocate. Of course, much of Louisiana is in danger of flooding, with several areas already underwater and other island communities in danger of extinction. The next few decades could be a turbulent time for many on the Eastern and gulf seaboards.