The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management recently awarded the City of Virginia Beach an $844,000 grant to assist the city with sea level rise (SLR) planning. Part of NOAA’s Regional Coastal Resilience Grant Awards, the grants are aimed at helping coastal communities prepare for and recover from extreme weather events, climate hazards, and changing ocean conditions.
Dewberry will support the City of Virginia Beach, along with the Georgetown Climate Center and Old Dominion University, to develop, evaluate, and prioritize adaptation strategies to address sea level rise impacts on the city. Dewberry is currently performing a comprehensive SLR and recurrent flooding hazard and risk analysis that will contribute to the adaptation planning study.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant,” Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms said in the city’s release. “This project represents another smart and effective step toward ensuring Virginia Beach’s resilience for years to come.”
The Hampton Roads region in Virginia, where Virginia Beach is located, is the second largest population center at risk from rising sea levels with SLR rates being in the top 10 percent in the nation.
