Sea-Level Rise Adaptation Report for Beaufort County Published

In partnership with the Beaufort County Planning Department, Social and Environmental Research Institute, North Carolina Sea Grant, and University of South Carolina’s Carolinas Integrated Sciences and Assessments, the S.C. Sea Grant Consortium published the Sea Level Rise Adaptation Report: Beaufort County to assist the county’s planning department with developing adaptation strategies for future flooding for incorporation into their Comprehensive Plan.

The project team assembled a stakeholder group of local decision makers, and met with the group five times over a two-year period to discuss possible actions to increase the County’s resiliency. In addition, two public workshops were held to gather input from a wider audience. The resultant report includes an assessment of Beaufort County’s vulnerability to sea level rise and coastal flooding, and 23 adaptation actions identified by stakeholders described under categories such as land management, social adaptation, transportation adaptation, and water management. While the report is specific to Beaufort County, the adaptation actions are applicable to other coastal communities preparing for sea level rise.

This project was funded by the NOAA National Sea Grant Community Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. Read the Executive Summary and the Full Report.