As regular readers of this blog know well, this region of Virginia has some major flooding problems in hurricanes and severe northeasters. In fact, in 2008, the EPA ranked Norfolk second only to New Orleans among East and Gulf Coast cities threatened by storm flooding. Underscoring this reality is the fact that at Sewells Point in Norfolk (i.e., the Norfolk Naval Base), the sea level has risen 14.5 inches since 1930. But the problem is not limited to Norfolk - Hampton, parts of Virginia Beach, Newport News, Chesapeake and York County likewise face severe problems. And none of the municipalities have the funds to undertake the building of berms and flood gates.
Currently, the boyfriend and I are considering a major renovation to our home that would get all of the main living areas off of the first floor. "Plan A" which involved adding a third floor came in as too costly. "Plan B" would involve adding a second floor to part of the house is still under design and pricing. Fortunately, after the 2009 "Nor'Ida storm" (see the photo below) we largely waterproofed the first floor up to a level three feet above the floor and replaced all the flooring with marble (a client in Norfolk told me recently that she and her husband have done something similar). As a result, clean up is easy, but one still has to move all of the furnishings upstairs when a bad storm approaches.
As a result of this enormous long term problem, the City of Norfolk has asked the Commonwealth of Virginia to help pay for a study to determine the most effective ways to address the problem. Here are highlights from the Virginian Pilot:
A full moon, a high tide and a brief downpour can be disastrous for many residents in Norfolk's East Ocean View. Rising water from Pretty Lake, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, often overwhelms the storm sewer system and overflows the inlet's banks, flooding streets, homes and cars.
Much the same is true in Ghent, where the Hague often spills into the neighborhood.
The cost to fix flooding problems in those two neighborhoods, by installing floodgates and berms and relocating streets, is pegged by city officials at as much as $135 million. Add the Mason Creek and Spartan Village areas and it's more than $200 million - and that doesn't begin to address Larchmont, Colonial Place, downtown and many other flood-prone neighborhoods.
"We don't have that kind of money," Mayor Paul Fraim said. As sea levels rise, the problems will become more acute. So the city has asked the General Assembly to pay for a study that would recommend strategies on how best to deal with it.
The study would not be limited to Norfolk. The bills call for a comprehensive study of flooding in all of "Tidewater," including Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore, as well as the Northern Neck.
The problem throughout Hampton Roads is twofold - not only is the sea slowly rising, much of the land is slowly sinking.
According to measurements taken at Sewells Point in Norfolk, sea level has risen 14.5 inches since 1930. It isn't known why local cities are sinking, but Bob Matthias, an assistant in the Virginia Beach city manager's office, said the theory is that the huge amount of water being drawn from wells may be the cause.
Some say the global warming that's led to sea-level rise is being caused by man-made pollution. Others say it's a naturally occurring progress. Regardless, Stolle said, "Now is the time for us to see what we need to do.
"We have the Norfolk naval base here," Fraim said. "We have the ports facilities here. From a national security standpoint, the federal government should be very interested in protecting those facilities." According to the governor's commission on climate change, Hampton Roads ranks 10th in the world in the value of assets threatened by sea-level rise.
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