SEA LEVEL RISE - KEY ASPECTS

Suggested Talking Points on Sea Level Rise to Share with Concerned Citizens

Sea level rise will have an impact on any development on the Edmonds waterfront, so it is important that specific policy goals are included in the city’s comprehensive plan. Suggested points to make are:

Halt waterfront development plans until a sea level rise plan is implemented.

 “Sea level rise driven by global climate change is a clear and present risk to the United States today and for the coming decades and centuries.” (Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States, NOAA, 2022). Edmonds is a front-line coastal community at high risk from future Puget Sound flood events. The next generation should not be left bearing the burden of our lack of planning for those risks.

 Follow recommendation 5A of the Waterfront Study:

"Update the comprehensive plan with more specific policies that address the city’s preparation for and response to future major flooding events and long-term sea level rise in the Downtown Waterfront area.” We need to develop not only a process to evaluate flood risks but ways the city can minimize those risks with adaptation strategies. 

Assemble a waterfront extreme sea level planning team and implement their recommendations:

A team consisting of stakeholders and experts can evaluate the risks posed by sea level rise and investigate methods to minimize those risks.