CONTACT
I’esha Wynn, Conservation Program Manager, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter
iesha.wynn@sierraclub.org, (757) 770-0057
Community members take to the coast to map and measure the King Tide
Groups of volunteers collect data to help stem sea level rise
NORFOLK, Virginia – On Saturday, a group of 9 community members organized by the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter participated in an annual mapping of King Tide, as part of the second annual Catch the King event. These participant scientists put boots on the ground to map the inundations from one of the highest tides of the year, the “King Tide”, using the SeaLevelRise app.
“Being a lifelong resident of Norfolk I used to think the flooding was normal,” I’esha Wynn, Conservation Program Manager at Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, said. “It wasn’t until I became more aware of the dangers of climate change like sea level rise that I realized we must take more proactive measures to combat living with a sinking coastline and rising seas.”
During the event participants walked along the tide, as it inundated city streets, for over an hour dropping GPS data points to be analyzed and released in a report by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. This report provides important quantitative guidance on how to prepare for sea level rise.
Being involved with the Catch the King Tide event “gives you the chance to collect data that will help improve models that are used to predict future flood events,” John Luker, Chair of the Sierra Club Chesapeake Bay Group, said.
The King Tide event comes at a pivotal time for addressing sea level rise and climate change. In early October, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change called for urgent action on climate change in a landmark report. On October 18, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission voted to adopt planning rules that require developers to account for the future impacts of sea level rise.
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About the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter: The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club is over 20,000 members strong. We are your friends and neighbors working to build healthy, livable communities, and to conserve and protect our climate and environment. The Virginia Chapter is part of the national Sierra Club, the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org/virginia