Subsidence of U.S. Cities

[Randy Zipser]

There is an interesting article in the USA Today newspaper on May 8, 2025, about land subsidence occurring in several American cities. Several of these cities are in Tornado Alley states, including Oklahoma City, Dallas, and especially Houston, which can exacerbate flooding potential. It is likely that the subsidence in Oklahoma and Texas is related to oil extraction and hydrocarbon fracking activities. The opposite, however, is taking place in Jacksonville, FL, despite being located near the Okefenokee Swamp and being highly-prone to beach erosion from numerous tropical cyclones over the years, or Memphis, TN, located on the Mississippi River floodplain. Please see the link below:

Big US cities are sinking. This map shows where the problem is the worst.