Arctic Melt Directly Impacts Norfolk Flooding; City Exploring Mitigation To The Tune Of $1.8 Billion

[hatrack]

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Scientists say the melting sea ice, particularly the Greenland Ice Sheet, has a direct effect on sea-level rise here. Along the Atlantic Coast, the combined effects of sinking land and rising seas, give the Hampton Roads region one of the highest rates of relative sea level rise, about an inch every five years.

Andria McClellan is a Norfolk councilmeber, who sat with the staff of Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner. She wants Congress to help fund Norfolk flood mitigation efforts. "We have sunny day flooding as we're going to have today in Norfolk at 7 p.m., on the street in which I live, there will be flooded roads and there will not be any rain in sight," McClellan noted.

For about $1.8 billion, the Army Corps of Engineers can mitigate tidal flooding in Norfolk with flood controls. The city and state would have to pay 35 percent of that. But that doesn't address the city's ancient stormwater system. Still, McClellan and Goodman see potential here. "In many ways this area is ground zero in the U.S. for resilience opportunities," Goodman said. "The opportunity to build a stronger community that anticipates what the risks of the next storm will be and acts now to develop that natural more resilient infrastructure."

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It isn't just military bases and communities that's pushing Norfolk to take action. McClellan is worried about her city's credit rating. Moody's Investor Services is now assessing credit risks to a city or state being impacted by climate change.

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http://wvtf.org/post/experts-say-what-happens-arctic-affects-norfolk-flooding

[underpants]

1. Flooding in Ghent

It's remarkable the change in Norfolk over the last decade.