About 61,000 tons of sand is being dumped on Miami Beach to counter rising sea levels as highest rate of rise was recorded along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline. Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty

The pace of sea level rise accelerated at nearly all measurement stations along the US coastline in 2019, with scientists warning some of the bleakest scenarios for inundation and flooding are steadily becoming more likely.

Of 32 tide-gauge stations in locations along the vast US coastline, 25 showed a clear acceleration in sea level rise last year, according to researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (Vims).

The selected measurements are from coastal locations spanning from Maine to Alaska. About 40% of the US population lives in or near coastal areas.

The gathering speed of sea level rise is evident even within the space of a year, with water levels at the 25 sites rising at a faster rate in 2019 than in 2018.

The highest rate of sea level rise was recorded along the Gulf of Mexico shoreline, with Grand Isle, […]