Sea Level Rise Effect on Newport and Community Event

By Patrick Luce and Olga Enger

The sea level in Newport has increased eight inches since 1930, according to a study funded by the Rhode Island Sea Grant. By 2100, the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council said to expect three to five feet of sea level rise. This could mean loss of waterfront property and public access, said the university.

Newport is beginning to take action now.  

Next Thursday, Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m. the city will host a one hour session to inform residents and businesses about an upcoming project that will research sea level rise, its effect on local Newport locations and how the city is preparing for mitigation and education. The session will take place at the Gateway Center, located at 23 America’s Cup Ave.

Several agencies will attend the event such as: the City of Newport Planning Department, Coastal Resource Center (CRC)/URI Sea Grant, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Save the Bay, Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA). 

The problem is not limited to Newport. 

All anyone needs to do to see the effects of climate change and sea level rise is go have a drink.

The Ocean Mist — located on Rhode Island's south coast, frequented by students and locals alike, and often the venue of some of the area's best local bands — is a popular beach bar in Matunuck.

Well, it used to be a beach bar anyway.

Patrons can still grab a drink from the inside or outside bar, wander to the deck and gaze out over the open ocean toward Block Island in the distance. But those who frequented the Mist as recently as a decade ago may be stunned to find they can no longer stroll along the sandy beach between the bar and the crashing waves ... because it is no longer there.

The waves that now crash into the pilings underneath the Ocean Mist are indicative of sea level rise that is threatening the coastline throughout Rhode Island. Sea levels have already risen by 10 inches in less than a century, according to the Coastal Resources Management Council — much faster than the worldwide average of 7 inches — and it's only getting worse. A study this year from the University of Rhode Island predicted sea levels will rise 3 to 5 feet over 1990 levels by 2100, and the CRMC thinks it will only get worse.

“If I was a betting man I’d say five or six (feet),” said CRMC Director Grover Fugate. "We’ve got a real issue here. Not just in Rhode Island but nationwide."

And it's not just the slow, steady sea level rise we have to worry about. Thanks to worsening climate change, Rhode Island can also expect to see more strong coastal storms like last year's Superstorm Sandy that devastated the state's southern coast, destroyed entire neighborhoods, knocked electricity out for days throughout the state, and carried away many of the natural sand dunes that serve as the first line of defense against the angry sea.

The effects of climate change are being felt all around Rhode Island. The floods of 2010 that swamped much of the state — destroying homes, business, roads and bridges — and tropical storms that have hit the state each of the last two years join the ever-encroaching seashore as the latest evidence. 

The University of Rhode Island's Coastal Resources Center is trying to do something about it. The university has teamed up with the town of North Kingstown in hopes of creating a strategy all communities can employ to deal with the inevitable sea level rise. 

The program will analyze mapping done in 2011 to prioritize NK's public, residential and business assets that are most susceptible to the impacts of sea level rise and storms. URI is using the information, along with public input, to help rewrite the town’s comprehensive plan to deal with sea rise now and in the future. The new plan can then be used as a model for communities throughout the state.

During a presentation to North Kingstown residents last month, Coastal Resource Center representatives urged residents to renew or buy flood insurance, even if they are not in traditionally flood-prone areas. Those in flood zones should even consider raising their homes to defend against the tide.

With more than 400 miles of coastline and a bay that splits the state in half, Rhode Island is more vulnerable than most to climate change and sea level rise. The problem, according to state Rep. Art Handy (D-Cranston) is the skepticism and apathy some still hold toward climate change.

“We need to continue to help people understand what the realities are,” he said, noting public involvement is key to the success of any plan. “We need to get people ready for this. We need to pass laws or regulations.”