The City of Boston is known historically for the Battle of Bunker Hill, which was fought on June 17, 1775, during the Siege of Boston in the first stage of the American Revolutionary War. Today, Boston is a sprawling coastal city that is fighting a different battle, one of climate change and an increasing threat of disastrous flooding.
To that end, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is recommending $10 billion in infrastructure investments in its draft ‘Coastal Storm Risk Management Feasibility Study’. Released last week on July 24, the goal is to make recommendations to protect Boston and its 47 miles of coastline from rising floodwaters that city leaders, including Mayor Michelle Wu, say are getting worse year after year.
Since 1991, 24 severe storms qualifying as federal or state disasters have hit Boston, 14 of which caused major flooding. More than 40% of our residents now live in areas at risk of coastal flooding, including some communities that are more than a mile away from the ocean.
Study Recommends Major Flood Mitigation
The study recommendations from the Army Corps of Engineers fall in line with the agency’s mission as the military engineering branch of the U.S. Army. USACE has 37,000 civilian and military personnel, making it one of the world’s largest public engineering, design, and construction management agencies.
Its involvement in Boston’s coastal infrastructure protection plans is a collaboration between the city, the state of Massachusetts and the federal government.
“This study is tied to local planners and took years to assess the Boston shoreline’s vulnerabilities and how we can strengthen the infrastructure,” Army Corps of Engineers Lieutenant Colonel David McPhail said in his remarks at the July 20th news conference. “Whether it’s a nor’easter, which sits here for several days with storm surge, or it’s just a high water event, those all affect the people in Boston, and this entire coastline.”…