By TIM FAULKNER/ecoRI News staff
A total of 341 structures along the south coast of Rhode Island,
including about 28 miles of moderately developed coast in the towns of
Westerly, Charlestown, South Kingstown and Narragansett, have been identified
by the Army Corps of Engineers for its fortification program. (ACE)
Homes and business
across the southern shore of Rhode Island will likely be offered money to
elevate their houses and buildings to protect against sea-level rise and
flooding from coastal storms.
In all, 341 structures
between Westerly and Narragansett were identified by the Army Corps of
Engineers for its fortification program. The study concluded that buying out or
moving the buildings was too expensive to warrant funding.
“It’s not cheap to pick
up a house and move it,” said Christopher Hatfield, project manager for the
Army Corps office in Concord, Mass.
Grover Fugate, executive
director of the Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC),
said the Army Corps estimates on sea-level rise are too conservative and
therefore wants more buildings to qualify for the adaptation program.
“We believe there could
be more houses eligible for that project,” Fugate said.
The Army Corps estimates
that sea level will rise 4.44 inches in the next 50 years. Fugate defers to the
more recent estimates by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) of 2 feet by 2050 and up to 7 feet by 2100.
“We went with what we
had and did the best modeling we could and that’s what your seeing in the
report,” Hatfield said.
Fugate said the project
is nonetheless warranted because, “it will obviously improve the survivability
of those structures ... it will reduce their flood insurance.”
Flood insurance rates,
he said, are expected to rise significantly, as the federal program reduces its
subsidies. Fugate said he has been working with Gov. Gina Raimondo to help
lower local flood insurance costs in the state.
The public is being
asked to provide feedback on the program through Nov. 21. Property owners along
the 28-mile stretch of shoreline must reach out to the Army
Corps to find out if they own one of the targeted buildings.
If so, and the program
is approved, the Army Corps will offer to pay 65 percent of the cost to elevate
the home or building.
The property owner must
pay the remaining 35 percent. Participation is voluntary. Fugate said the state
may offer no-interest or low-interest loans to help property owners pay their
share.
Most of the targeted
Rhode Island structures are homes. Depending on the location, the building will
be elevated between 12 and 18 feet.
An additional 46 at-risk
buildings, mostly commercial structures, aren't suited for elevation but will
be eligible for other flood-protection measures, according to the Army Corps.
Tide walls and flood gates were considered for parts of Westerly and Narragansett,
but were deemed too costly.
The CRMC was one of 15
Rhode Island agencies and environmental groups to coordinate with the Army
Corps on the study.
The study’s $800,000
cost was funded through the federal Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013
for Hurricane Sandy impacts. A more detailed study from the Army Corps will
examine other issues such as what happens to the septic systems of the homes
being elevated, according to CRMC.
The Army Corps examined
4,000 properties, valued at $600 million, along the shoreline in Washington
County. The cost to elevate the 341 structures is estimated at $58 million.
The large-scale coastal
threat adaptation program is one of the first of its kind in the country.
Similar studies are underway in Virginia and Maryland. Some 2,500 homes
affected by Hurricane Katrina are undergoing similar construction projects.
Buildings on
Narragansett Bay may also be considered for a future project, but Hatfield said
the result might be different because the southern region has a higher risk of
erosion from storms and sea-level rise.
“It doesn’t mean we’ll
end up with the same recommendations," he said. "These communities
are very different than those along the south coast."
Unless there is public
demand, there are no plans for hearings on the proposal. Any feedback or
questions should go to Christopher Hatfield, of the Army Corps New England
District, via e-mail at cenae-ep@usace.army.mil or by calling 978-318-8520.
If approved, the first
projects will begin in 2019.
