Mid-Atlantic not ready for sea-level rise

Maryland and other Mid-Atlantic states need to do a better job of preparing for sea-level rise if climate change is as intense as scientists think it will be, according to a new federal report.

On the last business day of the Bush Administration on Friday, the federal government issued the report, "Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region."

The lengthy report - it is 784 pages long - assesses the possible effects of sea-level rise and offers suggestions for how coastal states should adapt.

Maryland has a double challenge. As sea levels rise because of expanding warmer oceans and...