New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary
Science and Technical Advisory Panel steering committee convened in 2018.
Beginning in November 2018, NHDES convened a Science and Technical Advisory Panel (STAP) steering committee comprised of representatives from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (NHDOT), Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM), Office of Strategic Initiatives (OSI), Fish and Game Department (NHFG), Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR), Department of Administrative Services (DAS), Rockingham Planning Commission (RPC), Strafford Regional Planning Commission (SRPC), University of New Hampshire (UNH), coastal municipalities, and New Hampshire Coastal Adaptation Workgroup to oversee and contribute to the development of the 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary.
The 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary is comprised of two parts, including “Part I: Science” and “Part II: Guidance for Using Scientific Projections.” Together, Part I and Part II of the New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary fulfill the requirements of RSA 483-B:22, which directs NHDES to supervise updates to the 2014 Coastal Risk and Hazard Commission Science and Technical Advisory Panel report, Sea-Level Rise, Storm Surges, and Extreme Precipitation in Coastal New Hampshire, Analysis of Past and Projected Trends , at least every five years.
New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary – Part I: Science
Published in August 2019, Part I: Science provides a synthesis of the state of the science relevant to coastal flood risks in New Hampshire and includes updated projections of relative sea-level rise, coastal storms, groundwater rise, precipitation and freshwater flooding. “Part I: Science” was developed by a team of scientific advisers from the University of New Hampshire and was reviewed by the STAP and an external panel of regional climate experts from the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Purdue University, Rutgers University, U.S. Geological Survey, HydroAnalysis, Inc., and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary – Part II: Guidance for Using Scientific Projections
Published in March 2020, Part II: Guidance for Using Scientific Projections provides science-based and user-informed guiding principles and a step-by-step approach for incorporating the updated coastal flood risk projections from “Part I: Science” into private, local, state, and federal projects, including planning, regulatory and site-specific efforts. “Part II: Guidance for Using Scientific Projections” was prepared in partnership with the STAP, UNH and NHDES and underwent public review throughout September 2019.
Webinar Trainings
The NHDES Coastal Program, UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Sea Grant and Piscataqua Region Estuaries Partnership held two webinar trainings on the 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary on March 30 and 31, 2020. Additional in-person and interactive trainings will be scheduled in the future when it is safe to do so. Links to the webinar slides and recordings, as well as written responses to questions asked during the webinars, are available below.
- March 30, 2020 – Webinar Training for the General Public
Presentation Slides
Webinar Recording - March 31, 2020 – Webinar Training for Municipal Staff, Boards and Professionals
Presentation Slides
Webinar Recording - Written Responses to Questions
Funding for this project was provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with the NHDES Coastal Program.