• Thinkstock
    1 of 10

    A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey revealed that ocean levels on the U.S. Atlantic coast are rising three times faster than the global average. The Northeast "hotspot" includes the coastline from Cape Hatteras, N.C., to Boston. Major American cities are at greater risk for increased flooding and storm damage.

    Which cities? Click through to find out.

    New York, N.Y.

    You might think the financial crisis has Wall Street underwater today, but a century from now New York might really be swimming. By 2100, sea levels in New York are expected to rise 7.8 to 11.4 inches more than the worldwide average of three feet. Instead of flooding once every few years, the Big Apple could see many heavy floods annually.

  • Flickr via thisisbossi
    2 of 10

    Washington, D.C.

    Look out, Mr. President! Just because the nation's capital isn't on the Atlantic doesn't mean the East Coast city is in the clear. Washington, D.C. rests safely on the banks of the Potomac River, but by 2150, part of the city might be underwater. In about 100 years, as many as 73 monuments and museums on the National Mall could be affected.

  • Thinkstock
    3 of 10

    Norfolk, Va.

    There are some competitions you'd rather not win. Unfortunately for the city of Norfolk, Va., having the fastest-rising sea level of any city on the Atlantic coast will only mean headaches. While the average national sea-level rise is around 3.1 millimeters per year, in Norfolk they could soon be expecting as much as 6 millimeters annually. 

  • Thinkstock
    4 of 10

    Baltimore, Md.

    If sea levels keep rising at increasing rates, Oriole Park might soon have a waterfront view. Baltimore curls around an arm of Chesapeake Bay, and the city center sits at sea level on the harbor. Due to rising sea levels, climatologists say that chances of heavy flooding in the area will double by 2030. 

  • Thinkstock
    5 of 10

    Montauk, N.Y.

    You might want to think twice before splurging for a beach house in the East Hampton hamlet of Montauk. The New York town sits at the tip of Long Island, and like the rest of the Northeast, it's feeling the heat from rising seas.

  • Thinkstock
    6 of 10

    Boston, Mass.

    The most northern city in the affected region, Boston resides right on Massachusetts Bay, leaving it particularly vulnerable to flood damage. From updating building codes to identifying at-risk areas, city and state officials have already begun preparing for the rising waters. In anticipation of future flooding, the New England Aquarium moved its electrical systems from the basement to higher floors. Other businesses will no doubt follow suit.

  • Thinkstock
    7 of 10

    Cape Hatteras, N.C.

    Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was built in 1870. But thanks to a receding shoreline, the 4,830-ton building had to be moved inland nearly 3,000 feet in 1999. The lighthouse now sits 1,500 feet from the shore (the same distance as it was back in 1870), but if sea levels keep rising at an increasing rate, the historic structure might have to move yet again before the end of the century. 

  • Thinkstock
    8 of 10

    Providence, R.I.

    Since 1929, sea levels near this waterfront Rhode Island city have risen nearly a foot, resulting in a variety of changes. Flooding has increased, and fresh-water wetlands have turned into salt marsh. In 2008, the city adopted a plan for gathering information, regulating new development and combating damage.

  • Flickr via afagen
    9 of 10

    Annapolis, Md.

    The home of the U.S. Naval Academy might need another line of defense -- against the sea. Annapolis, which looks out over Chesapeake Bay, stands to lose ground to rising waters in the coming years.

  • AFP/Saul Loeb
    10 of 10
    Next: Hottest and Coldest Places on Earth

    Atlantic City, N.J.

    Sea levels are predicted to rise 15 inches in Atlantic City by 2050, and six inches as soon as 2030. But changes are coming before that. By 2020, the odds of a storm surge four feet above the high-water mark will be one in six, a sobering statistic for the party city.