NH Coastal Flood Risk Guidance Released

 Where Do I Start?
Selecting Projections to Help you
Plan for Coastal Flooding

In March 2020, the NHDES Coastal Program, UNH Extension, Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership, and NH Sea Grant held two webinars to provide an overview of the NH Coastal Flood Risk (CFR) Summary, including the Science (Part I) key findings and the newly released final Guidance (Part II). These were held as webinars due to the COVID-19 virus, but additional in-person and interactive trainings will be scheduled in the future when it is safe to do so.

We had about 60 participants on the webinars, including consultants, municipal staff and board members, state agency staff, interested community members, and others, from 20 different NH municipalities and 6 other states! In a poll during the webinar,  attendees indicated that they were interested in learning about the CFR Guidance in order to understand possible requirements for state and other permitting and to understand vulnerability and options for their community. Over 90% of people who filled out an evaluation survey after the webinars said that they plan to or may use the CFR Guidance – for example, in helping clients make informed decisions, considering land use regulation amendments, incorporating the science into designs, and sharing with partners. Thanks to all who participated!

The slides and recordings from the two webinars are available below. In addition, the NHDES Coastal Program put together a FAQ Document addressing the questions asked during the webinars.

TUESDAY, MARCH 31, 2020

FOR MUNICIPAL STAFF, BOARDS,
AND PROFESSIONALS

Note: Click the square icon in the lower right-hand corner of the video to view in full screen, or click the ‘youtube’ logo in the lower right to watch the video on youtube.

The 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary is comprised of two parts, including Part I: Science and Part II: Guidance for Using Scientific Projections. Part I provides a summary of best available science relevant to coastal flood risks in New Hampshire, including updated projections of sea-level rise, coastal storms, groundwater rise, precipitation and freshwater flooding. Part II provides science-based and user-informed guiding principles and a seven step approach for incorporating updated coastal flood risk projections into planning, regulatory, and site-specific decisions. Together, Part I and Part II fulfill the requirements of RSA 483-B:22, which directs the NH Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) to supervise updates to the 2014 Coastal Risk and Hazard Commission Science and Technical Advisory Panel report, Sea-Level Rise, Storm Surges, and Extreme Precipitation in Coastal New Hampshire, Analysis of Past and Projected Trends, at least every five years. For more information, visit the NHDES website.

Questions? Contact Nathalie Morison, Coastal Resilience Specialist, NHDES Coastal Program, 603-559-0029, nathalie.morison@des.nh.gov.

This project was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program.