Against the backdrop of the two huge January 2024 storms that heavily damaged the New Hampshire coast (www.seacoastonline.com), cities, towns, individuals and businesses (“stakeholders”) on the Seacoast should be aware that the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) has announced the required update to the 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary (www.nhcrhc.org) is now in progress. Stakeholders with an interest in this process should review and monitor the New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary website (www.des.nh.gov) which will publish updates and information for stakeholder participation and input.
For background, NH RSA 483-B:22 – Coastal and Great Bay Region Reports (NHRSA 483-B:22), requires that every five years the Commissioner of the NHDES convenes representatives of the Department of Transportation, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Office of Planning and Development, and other State agencies, to oversee and update projections on future storm surge, sea-level rise, and precipitation. These projections were initially set out in the 2014 report of the Coastal Risk and Hazard Commission Science and Technical Advisory Panel, which were then updated in 2019-2020.
In reaching their projections on future climate impacts along the Seacoast and elsewhere, government officials are aided by a broad spectrum of experts from academia (UNH), the federal government (e.g. USGS and NOAA), and the private sector authorities, all of whom contribute their expertise.
As was the case with the 2019-2020 Summary Report, the 2024-2025 update will be divided into two parts. Part 1: Science, “provides a synthesis of the state of the science relevant to coastal flood risks in New Hampshire. Specifically, this document provides updated projections of sea level rise, coastal storms, groundwater rise, precipitation, and freshwater flooding for coastal New Hampshire.”
Data and analysis from Part 1 will then be used in Part 2: Guidance for Using Scientific Projections. As explained in the most recent iteration of the report it, “provides science-based and user-informed guiding principles and a step-by-step approach for incorporating the updated coastal flood risk projections from Part I: Science, into private, local, state, and federal projects, including planning, regulatory, and site-specific efforts.”
Part 2 is likely to be of most practical interest and use to stakeholders. In the 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary, Part 2 is a 71-page document provided to “enhance understanding and application of the science summarized in” Part 1, and to assist “decision makers select and incorporate updated coastal flood risk projections into multiple private, local, state and federal projects, including regulatory or site specific efforts.” Part 2 provides stakeholders:
- Principles for enhancing coastal flood resilience;
- A step-by-step approach for selecting and incorporating updated coastal flood risk projections into private, local, state and federal projects, including planning, regulatory or site specific efforts; and
- Local case study examples of how coastal flood risk information has been applied to date.
It is anticipated that the newest update will provide similar guidance.
For stakeholders, the report is designed to be of use in three specific types of projects:
Planning Projects, which includes master plans, hazard mitigation plans, post disaster redevelopment/relocation/recovery plans; emergency operations and evacuation plans, capital improvement plans, transportation plans; economic development plans and; and open space plans.
Regulatory Projects, including zoning ordinances, site plan and subdivision regulations, wetlands and shore regulations, alteration of terrain regulations, and waste management regulations.
Site-Specific Projects, including new construction and redevelopment or relocation of buildings and structures; road, bridge, culvert construction, maintenance, or relocation, shoreline stabilization projects, wetland restoration, and land conservation.
Stakeholders with an interest in any of these types of projects will want to monitor the progress and development of the 2024-2025 Coastal and Great Bay Region Report, and then closely study the recommendations offered. The report will be critical for municipalities who can use the guidance when making decisions and revising ordinances related to vulnerable areas. For zoning, the guidance can be used to determine regulatory standards for setbacks and flood elevation levels or explicitly require that regulated parties make use of the guidance offered by the report. For site specific projects, the report offers guidance for project design and construction.
Although the report will be advisory only, given the very recent experiences with massive storms, decisionmakers should make use of the information and recommendations once updated to mitigate the damage and disruption of the next, inevitable storm.