This document provides photos and information about hurricanes, coastal flooding events, and sea level rise in Newport, Rhode Island and surrounding areas. It discusses historical hurricanes like the 1938 hurricane, more recent storms like Tropical Storm Irene and Hurricane Sandy, and their impacts. It also summarizes data on rising sea levels from tide gauge records for Newport and satellite observations. The document examines how higher sea levels could increase risks of coastal flooding and erosion, and affect coastal habitats and infrastructure like onsite wastewater treatment systems. It presents modeling of potential sea level rise impacts and notes that observed sea level rise has exceeded previous projections.

1. Newport Harbor
Newport, RI

2. Thames Street 1938 Hurricane
Photos: New England Hurricane A Factual Pictorial Record
Works Progress Administration 1938

4. Ocean Drive
Newport, RI
Evacuation Routes
Photos: Works Progress Administration
1938, New England Hurricane A
Factual Pictorial Record

5. Drinking water facilities
Easton, Green End, Nelson and Gardner Ponds
Reservoirs
Newport, RI
28% of Newport Water District capacity
~5000 residents and businesses

6. Easton Reservoir after Tropical Storm Irene
Photo credit: Janet Freedman

7. Easton Beach after Irene

8. Easton Beach after Irene

9. Sandy Storm Damage in Newport - October 29, 2013

10. Sandy Storm Damage in Newport - October 29, 2013

11. Sandy Storm Damage in Newport - October 29, 2013

12. Sandy Storm Damage in Newport - October 29, 2013

13. Based on Net shoreline movement

14. Based on Net shoreline movement

15. December 12, 2008 Tidal Flood Event
A Glimpse into the Future of
Waterplace Park?
Gilbane Office Trailer
James Boyd
RI Coastal Resources Management Council

16. December 12, 2008

17. Peak Flood Elevation
December 12, 2008

18. Flood Elevation
December 12, 2008

19. December 12, 2008

20. December 12, 2008

21. December 12, 2008

22. December 12, 2008

23. Will Providence look more like Venice in the future?
Photo: NY Times – Venice, Italy – December 1, 2008

24. Social Adaptation to Sea Level Rise?
Photo: NY Times – Venice, Italy – December 1, 2008

25. Why Worry About Coastal Setbacks?
GONE!
2005
2007

26. Why Worry About Coastal Setbacks?

27. Why Worry About Coastal Setbacks?
October 30, 2012

28. Coastal Erosion
Happens During Storms!
Tropical Storms (Hurricanes)
Extra-tropical storms (Nor’easters)

29. Atlantic Basin Tropical Storm Tracks 1851-2000
Graphic: USGS

30. Misquamicut 2012
Photo: RIDOT October 30, 2012

31. Hurricane Sandy October 2012
Coastal Erosion from Storms

32. The Ocean Mist
Circa 1950s

33. The Ocean Mist – Matunuck
December 9, 2009

34. Now What?
Abandoned
Cesspools
April 1, 2010

35. HEIGHT NOW
Rate of Rise 1930-1996
9.4 +/- 1 inch/100 yr
Rate of Rise 1930-2013
10.8 +/- .7 inch/100 yr
Adapted from:
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/
sltrends_station.shtml?stnid=8452660%20Newport,%20RI
Boothroyd 2013

36. Satellite Radar Altimeter Data
CU Sea Level Rise Research Group – University of Colorado http://sealevel.colorado.edu/

37. Observed Sea Level Rise is HIGHER than
Projections
3.2 mm/yr observed vs. IPCC FAR estimate of 2.0 mm/yr (1993-2011)
Boothroyd 2013
Rahmstorf et al., 2012

38. Glass and Pilkey, 2013. Earth Vol. 58, No. 5

40. Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM)
North Kingstown Pilot Project (2011)
http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/climate/habitat.html

41. Higher sea levels = more property at risk
Hurricane Sandy
2012
Graphic courtesy of Jon Boothroyd URI

42. Rising sea levels will impact shoreline OWTS!

43. Sea Level Rise Influence on Groundwater
Problem!
Source: USGS http://wh.er.usgs.gov/slr/coastalgroundwater.html

44. Super-storm Sandy Impacts to RI Communities
Westerly
Charlestown
Photo: RIDOT
Narragansett
South Kingstown

45. Structural Failures

46. State Building Code Violations

47. CRMC Setbacks in Post-Storm Reality
Property line extent abutting town road
Inland edge of coastal feature
Photo: RIDOT
Less than 50 feet!

48. What is
Freeboard?
Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
Design Flood Elevation (DFE)
Freeboard
Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
Source: FEMA Coastal Construction
Manual 2000

49. Debris Removal from Overwash Sand - Westerly

51. Photo: RIDOT October 30, 2012
WWW.CRMC.RI.GOV