Eastern Shore watermen harvested billions of oysters in the 1800s, so many that they used the shells to fill a Somerset County marsh. On top of them, the town of Crisfield sprouted into a home to 25,000 residents who called it the “Seafood Capital of the World.”

Today, a tenth as many people live there, and they face a slow-moving disaster.

Just 3 feet above sea level, the Eastern Shore town is disappearing into the Chesapeake Bay. Disasters like Superstorm Sandy in 2012 flooded Crisfield badly, forcing hundreds to evacuate and leaving behind tens of millions of dollars in damage.

Even without hurricane-driven surges and downpours, tides routinely flood the town’s roads on clear days, a phenomenon scientists expect will grow more common as the land sinks and seas rise. As soon as 2050, Crisfield could see widespread flooding every day at high tide.

The story continues at The Baltimore Banner: After FEMA axed aid, is an Eastern Shore town lost to the bay?

WYPR and The Baltimore Banner have a joint operating agreement that allows the nonprofit organizations to work collaboratively to deliver quality journalism across the region. To learn more about the partnership, click here.