This small Virginia island could be underwater before the next century

"Before colonial settlers arrived in the 1700s, Indigenous people likely traveled to the island in the summer to take advantage of the abundant fish and crabs, according to the National Park Service. Many descendants of the original settlers with surnames like Crockett, Parks and Thomas have remained to this day. The isolation has allowed the development of a unique accent, one that some residents describe as a mix between "Southern" and "Elizabethan" English."

"Since 1850, the island has lost two-thirds of its landmass to erosion and sea level rise. On average, the island sits just three feet above sea level. Meanwhile, water levels in the Bay are rising by at least a quarter of an inch each year. The island could be almost entirely underwater in the next 50 years, according to experts like Dave Schulte, a climate change researcher and ecological restoration specialist who studied Tangier extensively."

Tangier Island off Virginia's coast remains inhabited and culturally centered on crabbing, with crab shanties and descendants of 18th-century settlers. The island's isolation produced a distinctive accent described as a mix of Southern and Elizabethan English. Since 1850 the island has lost two-thirds of its landmass due to erosion and rising seas, and its average elevation is about three feet above sea level. Bay water levels are increasing by at least a quarter-inch annually. Climate change intensifies erosion through higher seas and more damaging storms, leading researchers to predict likely abandonment within 25 to 30 years.

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