The federal government has unveiled its first comprehensive online resource about rising sea levels with the aim to provide data from multiple federal agencies to communities throughout the country, including Hampton Roads, in one site.
The platform, called the U.S. Sea Level Change website , has gathered information from the EPA, FEMA, NASA, the United States Department of Defense, and others. The initiative aims to create a “whole-of-government” effort to make information on climate change and sea level more accessible.
“This resource puts the latest federal science on sea level rise at people’s fingertips and helps them identify, understand and address risks,” said Jane Lubchenco, White House deputy director for Climate and Environment, in a statement. “This effort highlights how federal agencies are working together to deliver accessible and usable science as we confront the climate crisis.”
The website includes maps detailing past and future changes in sea level, including changes in Hampton Roads. Users can find tide gauges from across the country to access local climate data, including several regions in Virginia. The commonwealth has three gauges reporting to the U.S. Sea Level Change website. One is in Norfolk, while others are in the Northern Neck area and on the Eastern Shore.