Climate change in Alabama  Climate change in Alabama encompasses the effects of climate change, attributed to man-made increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, in the U.S. state of Alabama. In 2016, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released an assessment of the effect of climate change on Alabama, assessing various likely outcomes, noting that "[c]hanging the climate is likely to increase damages from tropical storms, reduce crop yields, harm livestock, increase the number of unpleasantly hot days, and increase the risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illnesses". Other studies show that Alabama is among a string of "Deep South" states that will experience the worst effects of climate change. "In the coming decades, Alabama will become warmer, and the state will probably experience more severe floods and drought. Unlike most of the nation, Alabama has not become warmer during the last 50 years. But soils have become drier, annual rainfall has increased in most of the state, more rain arrives in heavy downpours, and sea level is rising about one inch every eight years". "Sea level is rising more rapidly in Alabama than most coastal areas because the land is sinking. If the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, sea level along the Alabama coast is likely to rise eighteen inches to four feet in the next century. Rising sea level submerges wetlands and dry land, erodes beaches, and exacerbates coastal flooding". The EPA projects increased more extreme precipitation in the future. These extremes include much higher rainfall during spring, leading to more flooding events, and longer dry seasons, causing drought. Although rainfall during spring is likely to increase during the next 40 to 50 years, the total amount of water running off into rivers or recharging ground water is likely to decline 2.5 to 5 percent, as increased evaporation offsets the greater rainfall. Droughts are likely to be more severe, because periods without rain may be longer and very hot days will be more frequent". At the same time, the increased rate of flooding observed since 1958 is expected to continue and increase  "Droughts create a different set of challenges. When reservoirs release water for navigation along the Tennessee or Black Warrior rivers, too little water may be available for lake recreation or hydropower. Low flows from drought occasionally limit navigation along the Alabama River. During severe droughts in the Mississippi River’s watershed, however, navigation can potentially increase on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, which provides an alternative route to the Gulf of Mexico". "Changing the climate will have both harmful and beneficial effects on farming.