This ‘Secret’ Georgia Beach Is Officially One Of The Top 10 U.S. Beaches Most At Risk Of Disappearing – With An Estimated Loss Of Over 100 Meters Of Shoreline In The Next 75 Years

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Driftwood Beach is a beloved Georgia beach, known for its peaceful vibes, cool sandy shores, and of course, the gorgeous ancient driftwood that decorates the coastline. But according to a new study conducted by Reinders Corporation, it’s highly at risk of disappearing. Here’s what we know so far.

Where does Driftwood Beach rank on the list of disappearing beaches?

Driftwood Beach ranks at #9, just after Bahia Honda State Park in Big Pine Key, FL. In fact, by the year 2100, Reinders estimates that 101.61 meters of coastline will have disappeared. This will have massive impacts on the beach–for visitors, locals, wildlife, and more.

Which other beaches made the list of the most at risk beaches in the U.S.?

Here’s the full list of the top 10 U.S. beaches most at risk of disappearing:

1. 1. Assateague Island – Delmarva Peninsula, between Maryland & Virginia
   2. Clearwater Beach – Clearwater, Florida
   3. Caladesi Island – off Dunedin, Florida
   4. Sleeping Bear Dunes – Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan
   5. Coronado Beach – Coronado, California
   6. Malibu Lagoon State Beach – Malibu, California
   7. Carmel Beach – Carmel-by-the-Sea, California
   8. Bahia Honda State Park – Big Pine Key, Florida
   9. Driftwood Beach, Jekyll Island, Georgia
   10. Destin Beach, Florida

How did Reinders Corporation come up with this data?

Here’s how they broke the study down:

This study analyzed shoreline change projections from Vousdoukas et al.’s “Sandy coastlines under threat of erosion” (2020), which model the potential retreat of beach land by 2100 under various climate scenarios. To highlight higher-risk outcomes, the analysis focused on the 83rd percentile values under the RCP4.5 scenario, representing the more severe end of projected erosion.

A list of America’s most popular beaches was then compiled from Reader’s Digest, Vogue, and Science Sensei. These were matched to the erosion dataset using Python analysis. Only beaches projected to experience shoreline loss were included in the final ranking, producing a clear overview of the U.S. beaches most at risk of erosion this century.

If you’d like to learn more about Driftwood Beach, you can check out their tourism website here!