Research and Analysis

The HRPDC Coastal Resiliency Program’s research and analysis supports identifying areas vulnerable to flooding and sea level rise in the region and highlights adaptation and management approaches.

To help document and track local progress towards reducing flood risk, HRPDC staff coordinated with local government staff to develop a regional inventory of resilience projects, programs, and policies. The project data and the following two communication tools are available at HRGEO.org.

• Hampton Roads Resilience Projects Dashboard: Displays a regional inventory of completed and potential projects in 11 different categories, including drainage improvements, natural shoreline management, and structural flood protection. Summary statistics can be viewed by locality, category, and status in the Dashboard. To download the project inventory, search “Hampton Roads Resilience Projects” at HRGEO.org.

• Hampton Roads Resilience Programs and Policies: Provides individual locality fact sheets with a brief overview of policies that support community resilience to flooding. The local fact sheets also feature a program spotlight, total count of flood insurance policies, and Community Rating System class where applicable.

Recent Reports:

Applying First Floor Elevation Data to Flooding Vulnerability Assessments in Hampton Roads (2020)
Builds upon the previous first floor elevations (FFE) report by continuing the development of a regional building FFE database and comparing multiple flooding vulnerability assessment methods.

Developing First Floor Elevation Data for Coastal Resilience Planning in Hampton Roads (2019)
Describes the methods and analysis used to initiate the development of a regional building first floor elevation database to support coastal hazard vulnerability assessments.

Previous Reports:

Hampton Roads Sea Level Rise Planning and Technical Assistance (2015)
Provides sea level rise inundation maps, case studies from other cities and regions, and an overview of coordination and outreach activities.

Coastal Resiliency: Adapting to Climate Change in Hampton Roads(2013)
Describes sea level rise scenarios, local impacts under these scenarios, and methods for incorporating sea level rise adaptation into local plans.

   Climate Change in Hampton Roads:

Phase 3: Sea Level Rise in Hampton Roads, Virginia (2012)

Phase 2: Storm Surge Vulnerability and Public Outreach (2011)

Phase 1: Impacts and Stakeholder Involvement (2010)