New York City is slowly sinking under its own weight. A recent study found that the city sinks an average of 1 to 2 millimeters (0.04 to 0.08 inches) each year! That’s because the weight of the city’s 1.08 million buildings is compressing the ground beneath them.

This sinking means the city will be more prone to natural disasters like flooding. Climate change is also adding to this risk. As global temperatures heat up, ice on landmasses around the world is melting. The meltwater pours into oceans, causing sea levels to rise and flood low-lying areas. That’s why “every additional high-rise building could contribute to future flood risk,” says Tom Parsons, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey who worked on the study.