3. Maryland (Infrastructure score: 188 out of 425 points)
This state has 12,000 miles of coastline around the Chesapeake Bay, and this is why it’s among the most exposed states when it comes to climate change. The rising sea levels are alarming, and Maryland is vulnerable to flooding and land subsidence.
3 to 5 millimeters per year. This is how fast the sea levels are rising here, and according to the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, this is double the global average.
11% of Maryland’s 2.2 million properties are at risk of flooding, and major damage is foreshadowed for the next 30 years. This is why the 10-year Climate Adaptation Resilience Framework was adopted in 2021. This plan aims to make sure that Maryland’s buildings, transportation networks, and utilities will resist when disaster strikes.
