Sea-Level Rise
Sea-Level Rise in Norfolk
Climate change, sea-level rise, and coastal erosion are realities we face as a coastal city, and Norfolk has the opportunity to be an exemplary city that leads with innovation, and an urgency to action. To date, too little has been done.
As Norfolk’s Mayor, I will commission a special committee to review and strengthen the city’s flood mitigation planning and accelerate protection efforts to combat the frequency and magnitude of local flooding. It will be my responsibility—working with city, state, and federal-level and industry engineering and environmental experts– to learn from best practices worldwide to devise and implement an actionable comprehensive plan with schedules for dealing with the flooding impact in our neighborhoods.
As Mayor, I will prioritize sea-level mitigation and other critical infrastructure projects for resolution. These projects may initially disrupt our community, but with smart planning, a skilled workforce, sufficient investment and by embracing a long-term perspective, we can guarantee Norfolk’s safety and a resilient infrastructure for future generations.
Norfolk Stats on Sea-Level Rise
- According to a report from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in March 2023, Norfolk, Virginia’s sea level is rising by 5.38 millimeters per year.
- Hampton Roads is second only to New Orleans as the largest population center at risk from sea level rise in the country.
- The number of flooding events in Norfolk each year has tripled since the 1970s, and tidal flooding now occurs about once a month.
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