1. Flooding and Sea Level Rise in Hampton Roads
Michelle Covi,
Assistant Professor of Practice
Old Dominion University,
Virginia Sea Grant

2. Hampton Roads, Virginia
17 independent jurisdictions, 1.7 million people, Highest rate of sea level rise on the east coast, 400 hundred years of living on the water
18 military facilities including the largest Navy station in the world, 5th busiest port in the U. S. . Shipbuilding, tourism
Tidal, storm surge and nuisance flooding
College Status Criteria
Leadership
Organization
National Security and the Accelerating Risks of Climate Change, CAN Military Advisory Board May 2014

3. Tide Gauge at Sewell’s Point, Norfolk VA 1927

4. Minor tidal flooding (~1foot over MHHW/4feet over MLLW)
Historic Hague district of Norfolk
flood wall
Observed water level ~1ft higher than predicted, why?
How often do we see minor flooding in Norfolk?
Used to be a rare event, now almost every month…
Acceleration in flooding time

5. Moderate (weather-related) flooding (~5ft > MLLW/~2ft>MHHW)
How much such flooding we see in Norfolk?

6. Major storm events (>6ft MLLW/3ft MHHW)
Hurricane Sandy (10/29/2012)
Veterans Day Norester 2009
How often do we see extreme flooding events like this in Norfolk?
In the past every 10 years, now every 2 years or so…
Ches-Potomak Hurricane of 1933
Ash Wednesday storm of 1962
Twin Norester 1998
Sandy
Isabel

7. Flooding and Sea Level Rise
College Status Criteria
Leadership
Organization

8. Regional Response Norfolk 100 Resilient City
Hampton Roads Adaptation Forum
Intergovernmental SLR Planning Pilot project
College Status Criteria
Leadership
Organization

9. The Challenge College Status Criteria Leadership Organization
Better water level predictions
Storm track and storm intensitiy
Coastal and ocean dynamics on SLR
College Status Criteria
Leadership
Organization