Like many other coastal communities, South Portland is vulnerable to coastal flooding and extreme weather patterns that are becoming more frequent with climate change. On Jan. 13, we witnessed serious, record-breaking coastal flooding many thought we would only face at some point in the future. The predicted tide was 11.2 feet, but the actual water level, or storm tide, was 14.57 feet. That is higher than the previous highest tide we benchmarked from the storm of 1978.
The damages have been seen, recorded, and felt throughout our community. Residents have rightfully mourned our losses, and some have already shifted to the “mend and repair” phase of what was lost. While we pick up our hats and start to get things back to normal, many are asking ‘what is the new normal?’ How are we preparing for future storms and sea level rise and the impacts these will inevitably bring?
In 2020, South Portland adopted One Climate Future (oneclimatefuture.org), a climate action and adaptation plan that provides our community with a roadmap for reducing emissions and improving our climate resilience. As the plan notes, the Northeast had the greatest increase in extreme precipitation compared to any other region in the U.S, and sea level is rising much faster than any time in the past 5,000 years.
A beachside playground is awash with surf at Willard Beach on Jan. 13. The same storm wreaked havoc at the nearby Seawater Grille. less than two miles away. Derek Davis photo/Press Herald
To begin to prepare ourselves and inform our policies and programming, the city has been working with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute to show anticipated impacts of sea level rise and storms on South Portland’s waterfront (https://arcg.is/0e94i).
Help local research teams by sharing your experience:
Did you capture impacts from the recent and historic storms? Share your photos and observations with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. We’re working with them to help document the impacts and use the data to ground truth our flood inundation models.
1. Contribute observations directly to the Ecosystem Investigation Network. Visit https://investigate.gmri.org/project/coastal_flooding/collect/ and create an account. Go to the “Contribute” tab and answer questions and upload photos through your phone or a computer.
2. Email observations and photos to the institute at Gayle@gmri.org
Note: This gives the Gulf of Maine Research Institute permission to use and share your photos (without providing any of your identifying information). Please include date, time, and location of your photo (latitude/longitude is ideal, or description like “the Route 1 dike in Machias” is helpful). Did you see high water marks indicating that the water was previously higher than it is in your photo? Describe the conditions at the time (wave action, wind action, precipitation).
Our Sustainable City is a recurring column in the Sentry intended to provide residents with news and information about sustainability initiatives in South Portland. Follow the Sustainability Office on Instagram @soposustainability.
Jenna d’Arcy is an Outreach and Engagement Fellow for the Greater Portland Council of Governments, Resilience Corps – AmeriCorps Program and the South Portland Sustainability Department. She can be reached at jdarcy@southportland.org.
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