Coastal resilience and the start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2020 Atlantic Hurricane season officially begins on Monday June 1, and forecasts from the National Oceanic Administration Association (NOAA) predict a 60% chance of an above-normal season this year, with approximately 13-19 named storms, including 6-10 hurricanes.
Image courtesy: NOAA.gov
The most active season on record, according to NOAA data, was 2005, with 28 storms, 15 of which were hurricanes. Last year’s season ended with 18 named storms, including six hurricanes, and marked the fourth consecutive period of above-normal Atlantic hurricane activity.
“As Americans focus their attention on a safe and healthy reopening of our country, it remains critically important that we also remember to make the necessary preparations for the upcoming hurricane season,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in a NOAA release.
Though 1991 marked the last time a hurricane made landfall in New England, storm activity can still lead to inundation from storm surge, inland river flooding, and wind damage. For a waterfront city like Boston, these threats are a very real concern for residents, businesses, and city leaders. As sea levels continue to rise, and storms become more severe and frequent due to climate change, Boston is working to adapt. Mayor Martin J. Walsh and his administration have released several plans to build resilience along the waterfront including Imagine Boston 2030, Climate Ready Boston, and the Resilient Boston Harbor Vision.
“The Trustees have contributed to this thought leadership throughout these planning processes,” noted Nick Black, Managing Director of the Boston Waterfront Initiative, in a webinar hosted last week. “Ultimately these plans will require action and implementation, and One Waterfront stands ready as a strategic partner with the City of Boston to do just that—to take these plans and turn them into action.”
Responding to a changing coast in Boston, and across the state, is priority for The Trustees. Though the 129-year-old organization may be best known for historic homesteads and outdoor recreational sites, it is also the second-largest owner of protected coastline in the state, second only to the federal government, with 120 miles across 35 properties. As such, the effects of increased storm activity and flooding events are top of mind.
On Wednesday, Trustees Director of Coast and Natural Resources Tom O’Shea presented a webinar exploring some of the coastal resilience work underway by The Trustees, and shared the organization’s stance on adaptation methods and resilience techniques. Focusing on two Martha's Vineyard properties as examples—Wasque and Norton Point Beach—he highlighted areas of coastal vulnerability, and detailed projected sea-level rise and storm impacts.
“We have a responsibility to think about how to we steward our beaches with these accelerating changes,” said O’Shea.
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To learn more about what One Waterfront is doing to contribute to Boston’s resilience to flooding and storm surge, visit: https://onewaterfront.thetrustees.org/about
To learn more about The Trustees Coastal resilience work and vision visit: https://www.onthecoast.thetrustees.org/. If you have trouble accessing the webinar video using the embedded module above, visit: https://youtu.be/wIwvVbU6BdA