Urgent Action Needed to Prepare Virginia’s Communities for Sea Level Rise

(Virginia Beach, VA. - February 15, 2022) Today, NOAA’s National Ocean Service and interagency partners released an updated technical report highlighting the risks facing people living in coastal communities across the country from sea level rise. The report reinforces that we are on a path to sea levels rising an additional foot or more nationally by 2050, meaning that “moderate” flooding is projected to occur more than ten times as often as it does today. 

“The latest report on sea level rise has significant implications for our communities in Virginia. Without action, sea level rise will cause widespread devastation to our region’s people, wildlife, businesses and vital infrastructure. We must act now to advance bold solutions to protect our state’s coastal communities before the worst effects take hold. State leaders must continue with implementation of Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan to protect communities and infrastructure before it’s too late. Additionally, Virginia must maintain critical funding for flood resilience projects across the state generated through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund. This fund has provided millions of dollars for resilience projects across the commonwealth to protect communities from sea level rise and other forms of flooding. The plan and available funding will allow Virginia to invest in solutions, such as natural infrastructure, to provide a vital buffer for communities from rising seas. Government leaders must prioritize efforts to reduce flood risk for communities that are most vulnerable, and do so in a manner that is just, equitable and addresses the disproportionate impacts of flooding across the commonwealth. Limiting future rates of sea level rise is an existential issue for Virginia’s communities, so leaders must work urgently to stabilize the climate with solutions that avoid these worst-case scenarios.”    

• Emily Steinhilber, Director, Climate Resilient Coasts and Watersheds, Virginia, Environmental Defense Fund 

Background: 

• This latest assessment follows another recent study published in Nature Climate Change indicating flood-related losses already cost the US approximately $32 billion each year and flood risk in the US will increase by more than 25% by 2050. The study indicates that future flood risk will disproportionately impact Black communities on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. 
• According to Virginia’s Coastal Resilience Master Plan, by 2080, the number of residents living in homes exposed to major coastal flooding will nearly triple from 360,000 people to nearly 1 million. Flood damages will skyrocket 1,300%, from $400 million to $5.1 billion annually. Without action, nearly 90% of tidal wetlands and almost 40% of dunes and beaches may be permanently inundated by 2080.  
• Virginia’s Community Flood Preparedness Fund launched in 2021 and provides critical funding for local governments to plan and implement flood resilience projects and, importantly, can help local governments secure additional federal dollars through matching programs. The fund receives revenue from Virginia’s involvement in the market-based Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). As the state’s only dedicated funding for flood resilience, continued revenue from RGGI auctions as well as other sources are critical to Virginia’s ability to address its growing flood risk.  
• The fund awarded over $32 million to nearly 50 applications from 30 local governments across the state, from Roanoke to Alexandria to the town of Oyster on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. A third grant round with $40 million is open for applications through April. Learn more about the Community Flood Preparedness Fund here.  
• The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIIJA) passed by Congress last year brings huge investments for critical resilience initiatives across the federal government and directly to states. Included is nearly $23 billion for USACE’s Civil Works program, providing a once-in-a-generation window of opportunity to fund and implement water resource infrastructure projects and programs that center equity and natural infrastructure solutions to benefit communities and ecosystems around the country. 
• Federal adaptation funding for FEMA programs like the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) will triple over the next five years. The most recent BRIC grant cycle received a record-setting $4.16 billion in applications from states, tribes, and territories for initiatives that build resilience to flooding and other natural hazards.