This Island In Texas Is Sinking Way Fast

One part of Texas is not only sinking, it's doing it a lot faster than experts originally predicted ... sea levels could be up 18 inches within 20 years.

There are many parts of Texas that are sinking thanks to global warming and rising sea levels. Galveston is one of them and it's going under faster than expected with tides rising 8 inches in the last 14 years.

They could be up as much as 18 inches by 2040 and easily turn Galveston into an American Venice if something miraculous, either technically and/or naturally, doesn't happen pretty quick.

A study by NASA came up with some pretty scary facts:

And of all the locations recorded in the study, Galveston had by far the biggest increase. Its 8.4 inches easily outpaced other locations along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, including Charleston, S.C. (7.1 inches); Wilmington, N.C. (7 inches); and Jacksonville and Miami, Fla. (both 6 inches).  - chron

That study also said Galveston could expect 200 days of flooding annually starting a decade later. Looks like the Tragically Hip have a few more cities to sing about than just New Orleans.

Since Mother Nature always does her own thing, the next solution to keep Galveston from sinking comes down to a simple, but hugely expensive, solution ... pumps.

A new pump station being built to drain the bigtime tourist spots should be up and running by the end of 2024. To save the island though, they'd need 10 of these things and they're not cheap. The one being built now has a $32 million price tag.