Surging Seas Sea level rise analysis by Climate Central

Sea Level Rise & Social Vulnerability Workshop: Wilmington, NC

NAACP and Climate Central held a Sea Level Rise Risk and Social Vulnerability Luncheon on April 30, 2016 in Wilmington, North Carolina that was attended by NAACP environmental officers and community stakeholders from across the region.

The workshop included presentations by individuals from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington, Climate Central's Program on Sea Level Rise and NAACP's Environmental and Climate Justice Program.

Following lunch, participants tried out the sea level rise and coastal flood risk web tool, Surging Seas Risk Finder to explore risk and impacts in their areas.

FACILITATORS

  • Jacqueline Patterson, Environmental and Climate Justice Program, NAACP
  • Ashley Daniels, NAACP, ECJ Chair, NAACP New Hanover County, NC
  • Dan Rizza, Program on Sea Level Rise, Climate Central

PROGRAM

Jonathan Barfield Jr., New Hanover County Commissioner | Introduction 

Jacqui Patterson, NAACP| Overview of Agenda/NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program Summary | Download Slides

Dr. Joanne Halls, Scientific efforts at UNCW, Associate Professor of Geography, University of North Carolina Wilmington | Download Slides

Dan Rizza, Climate Central | Demonstration of Surging Seas Risk Finder Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Risk Web Tool

Group Discussion / Q&A:

  • How could your community be impacted by sea level rise and coastal flooding?
  • What aspects of this information do you think you or others might use? 
  • What makes it hard to address current or future inundation risk in communities? 

Q & A

Working with Surging Seas Risk Finder for NC — Dan Rizza

Wrap-up and Next Steps 

Overview:

Climate Central's Program on Sea Level Rise works jointly with the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice (ECJ) Program and local partners to conduct workshops on sea level rise, coastal flood risk, and social vulnerability.

These workshops provide NAACP environmental leaders, NAACP branch presidents, and other stakeholders with information, tools, and science regarding the risks posed by rising seas and coastal flooding. Additionally, each workshop connects attendees with resources and experts available to them in their states or communities as they work to prepare for sea level rise and coastal flood risk.

Presenters have included officials from NOAA, Sea Grant, FEMA, NAACP, and Climate Central as well as leading scientists, state/county/municipal planners, and resilience officers. Attendees participate in interactive demonstrations of sea level rise and coastal flood web tools by Climate Central, NOAA, and others. Many workshops have included planning sessions in which attendees build out their own local level action plans.

Funding to support Climate Central's workshop efforts is provided by the Kresge Foundation and other foundations.

View completed workshops, case studies, events | Contact us at sealevel@climatecentral.org