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Jianjun Yin, a climate modeler at the Center for Ocean-Atmospheric Prediction Studies (COAPS) at Florida State, published a report in the journal Nature Geoscience; which predicts a dire future for the northeast coast of the United States.

"The northeast coast of the United States," Yin said, "is among the most vulnerable regions to future changes in sea level and ocean circulation, especially when considering its population density and the potential socioeconomic consequences of such changes. The most populous states and cities of the United States and centers of economy, politics, culture and education are located along that coast."

The city of New York has a population of more than 8 million, and with miles of coastlines, it is exceptionally vulnerable to hurricanes.

Throughout the last century, sea levels have risen steadily about 1.8mm per year. However, during the last decade the rise has increased to more than 3mm due to warming of the oceans and melting sea ice.

Warmer ocean surface temperatures, according to Yin, poses a 90 percent chance that sea levels along the northeast coast will surpass the average worldwide sea level rise by the end of the century. An increase such as this will leave New York City even more vulnerable to hurricanes and winter storm surges.

Greenland's melting sea ice is predicted to raise sea levels around the world, but this study was based strictly on thermal expansion. Melting sea ice was not a factor. Factoring in the rapid melting of sea ice, researchers have predicted a rise in sea level of 11 to 37 inches in New York City within the next 50 to 70 years.

Since most of New York City is less than 20 feet above sea level and much of lower Manhattan being less than only five feet above sea level, the whole region is seriously at risk.

"With sea level at these higher levels," said Vivien Gornitz, a scientist on a team at NASA's Goddard Institute, "flooding by major storms would inundate many low-lying neighborhoods and shut down the entire metropolitan transportation system with much greater frequency."

An increase of only 1.5 in sea level, added to the force of a category 3 hurricane would leave places such as Coney Island, Queens, Flushing Meadows and lower Manhattan largely underwater. A worse case tract could create a storm surge of more than 25 feet around JFK and upwards from 15 to 20 feet in may other areas.

The category 3 Hurricane of 1938 crossed central Long Island into southern New England with a 30-foot high wall of water,

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