Grays Harbor County was awarded a $130,000 shoreline planning competitive grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology to complete a Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Study. As part of that study, which does not include areas covered by existing shoreline management plans, residents in designated areas were asked to complete a survey by the end of January. The results of that survey were released Monday.
According to the project’s website, “This study will support shoreline planning and risk mitigation by improving the county’s resiliency to natural hazards pertaining to sea level rise and related vulnerabilities. Building resilience to natural hazards is vital for communities to help maintain quality of life, healthy growth, durable infrastructure and conservation of resources for present and future generations.”
The report issued Monday was auto generated by the platform used to conduct the survey. More than 850 responses to 11 questions were recorded and survey takers posted 156 comments.
Of the 127 individual participants, 71% of whom indicated they live and/or work in unincorporated Grays Harbor County, 76% of 82 respondents said they have experienced flooding (68% seasonally), 57% of 56 respondents said they had experienced coastal flooding, 54% indicated river flooding, and 43% said they had experienced flash flooding/surface water.
Of 59 respondents, 63% said that flooding had disrupted their daily activities, 58% indicated property damage, 54% had experienced a state road closure, 53% had witnessed erosion or land loss and 44% had seen the disruptions of businesses and economic losses. Of 71 respondents, 56% said that flooding had impacted their commute or access to critical facilities.
Survey respondents had the opportunity to indicate on a map where they have seen or experienced flooding and the majority of the issues pointed out were along state Route 109 from Ocean Shores to Moclips. Many survey takers posted photos of property damage caused by flooding and 59% of 44 respondents said they see “areas in county or municipal policies or regulations that could be improved to increase resilience of your home and overall community against sea level rise.”
In a Q&A with The Daily World published on Jan. 14, Grays Harbor County Principal Planner Jane Hewitt said the study’s main goals included documenting existing flooding impacts, identifying potential impacts from sea level rise in exacerbating flooding, characterizing the risk of impact, identifying areas of the community, resources, sectors or assets considered most vulnerable, conducting outreach and engagement with stakeholders to document existing challenges and community priorities, and developing next steps for flood reduction and incorporating implications of Sea Level Rise on built and natural assets.
According to Hewitt, “The survey is informational and is just one small part of the community outreach to stakeholders.”
Younes Nouri, PhD, PE, a coastal engineer with Moffatt & Nichol (a planning and engineering firm with offices in Seattle), is the project manager, and personnel from Grays Harbor Emergency Management, the Grays Harbor and Pacific conservation districts, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Washington and the Washington State Department of Ecology will form a Technical Advisory Committee to review the study as it continues to develop.
The Sea Level Rise study is scheduled to be completed in June and it will be used to update the Critical Areas Ordinance and Shoreline Master Program, while the baseline information could be used to apply for infrastructure improvement grants.
