Global sea level rise is projected to rise between 1 and 4 feet by the end of the century. Sea level rise and related increases in storm surges pulsing farther inland will continue to exacerbate ongoing land loss in low-lying coastal areas and may result in excessive saltwater inundation of coastal forests. The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has increased since the 1980s, and this trend can be attributed both to natural variability and climate change. High-intensity hurricanes such as the 2017 Hurricane Irma are expected to become more common in the future. Rapid intensification of storms is also more likely as the climate warms, even though there is also some historical evidence that the same conditions that lead to this intensification also act to weaken hurricane intensity near the U.S. coast, but it is unclear whether this relationship will continue as the climate warms further. Damage from these kinds of storms can be intense and extend for hundreds of miles inland, including windthrow and blowdown, inundation, damage to infrastructure on land, and significant ecological impacts to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems due to saltwater intrusion and altered hydrology.