New report reveals 2015 warmest year on record

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A new report out by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration confirms that 2015 was the warmest year on record.

And as sea levels rise, many are concerned about the effect it could have on those who live or work along the bay, especially in Silicon Valley.

This area in San Jose is known to flood whenever there's a major storm. And scientists are warning we could see even more problems, in more parts of the Bay Area if we don't make some changes now.

It's no surprise that Earth is getting even hotter.

Scientists point to climate change and a number of Bay Area residents say more must done locally and globally to help protect the environment.

Corinne Chung spent the day with family at Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park.

She's worried about how climate change could affect future generations.

"I cannot picture life, like I say, without nature. I cannot exist, I cannot have balance if nature doesn't exist around me," Chung said.

Just down the road, Facebook's headquarters sits in an area that researchers say could be more prone to flooding over the next 20 to 30 years if conditions don't improve.

Recently, Bay Area voters passed Measure AA, a $12 per parcel tax that is expected to raise $500 million over the next 20 years.

The money will go toward bay enhancement and to help with habitat restoration. "By restoring these wetlands, it serves as a buffer, to help mitigate that increase in sea level, that happens temporarily, during winter time," San Jose State University Eugene Cordero, M.D., said.

Cordero is a climate change specialist at San Jose State University. "There's homes and businesses that are right in line in the next few decades for flooding events," he said.

Should sea levels continue to rise, businesses such as Google could also see additional flooding.

But while some question the validity of the science behind climate change, others say it should all be taken seriously.

"Nature knows how to balance itself out, and if we can protect those areas, then we'll probably have resources, and we'll save species, and all the things that will benefit everybody," San Jose resident Diana Centeno said.