New Orleans, Louisiana
Hurricane Katrina got the world’s attention to the sea level issue that plagues New Orleans. As recently as the 1930s, just a third of The Big Easy was below sea level, CNN reports. But after Katrina hit in 2005, more than half of the city went underwater. The city’s location along the coast and the fact that it was built on loose soil has this major U.S city sinking at drastic rates. Scientists discovered the city is falling at a rate of 0.39 inches (1 centimeter) a year.
