RAPID: Evaluation of the Resilience of Shoreline Protection Methods to Hurricane Florence

University Of North Carolina At Wilmington, Wilmington NC

Investigators

Abstract

Hurricane Florence impacted coastal North Carolina resulting in unprecedented damage and flooding in coastal communities. This Rapid Response Research (RAPID) project examines the relationship between storm impact and shoreline management strategies utilized by residents and explores how socio-environmental factors, such as socioeconomic standing, knowledge of environmental conditions, and community representation influence the level of impact a storm event may have on an individual and community at large. More specifically, it seeks to understand the relationship between past shoreline management decisions and current issues faced by residents. The project will focus on the experiences of low-income, communities of color, and other underrepresented coastal communities who are often disproportionately affected by natural disasters. This research will provide new quantitative information on spatial changes of shorelines during storm events and the performance of shoreline protection strategies. This scientific research contribution thus supports NSF's mission to promote the progress of science and to advance our national welfare. In this case, the benefits will be insights to improve management of coastal communities which can save lives and reduce economic losses. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, through geographic information systems (GIS) science, nearshore vegetation assessment, and coastal county resident surveys, the project goals are to: 1) quantify changes in extent and condition of estuarine shorelines, particularly restored and stabilized salt marsh shorelines (also termed living shorelines) as compared to bulkheads and other shoreline management strategies approaches; and 2) assess the socio-environmental impacts of Hurricane Florence on North Carolina's estuarine shorelines and coastal residents via surveys. Changes in shoreline position and extent of shore zone habitats will be determined using in-situ GIS techniques using a real-time kinematic (RTK)-GPS unit. Additionally, five sites (two in Onslow County, two in Carteret County, and one in New Hanover County will be surveyed for vegetation and changes in dimension of the living shoreline in comparison to summer 2018 pre-storm data. The findings will be compared to existing pre-storm data to understand quantitative change in shoreline position, extent of habitat change, and magnitude of impact the storm had on shoreline management strategies. Surveys will be used to sample approximately 6,000 coastal county residents to clarify issues faced by North Carolina residents due to shoreline management decisions that were previously made, the storm, and associated flooding residents faced. Previous research has not explored socio-environmental issues associated with shoreline management decisions, natural disaster decision-making, and location. This underscores the need for effective melding of geospatial science with coastal residents' perceptions, so that disconnects between public perceptions and scientific evidence can be identified and remedied. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.