Project

Coastal Flooding Community Science

Become a community scientist by observing coastal flooding in your community!

With thousands of miles of tidal coastline, and the combined threats of storm surge and sea level rise, we need to understand the increasing impacts of flooding from sea level rise and coastal storms. That’s where you come in! Join our coastal flooding community science events to learn about sea level rise and coastal flooding, how to contribute your own photographs and observational data to the Coastal Flooding Community Science Project, and what you can do to support your community or region in preparing for coastal change.

By participating in our coastal flooding community science events, you will:

  • Learn how coastal flooding from storms and sea level rise impacts our shoreline.
  • Help identify what weather and water level conditions lead to coastal flooding at locations of importance to your community by collecting flood impact photos.
  • Boost our understanding of what shoreline areas are most vulnerable and critical to coastal communities.

Our Coastal Flooding Community Science project aims to answer the questions, "what weather and water level conditions are associated with coastal flooding in our community?” and “what areas of our shoreline are most vulnerable and critical to our community?”

In this edition of Gulf of Maine, Explained, GMRI Postdoctoral Researcher and coastal hazards expert Dr. Hannah Baranes talks about how we can use the predictability of tides to better forecast flooding caused by storms as sea levels continue to rise.

About twice a year, the movements of the earth, sun, and moon align to create larger-than-normal tidal ranges across Maine’s coasts, resulting in a “high water season.” The highest tides in these periods often overtop coastal infrastructure, providing a critical opportunity to build our understanding of flood impacts in coastal communities. This project supports the collection of water level and weather data that helps towns, emergency management, and homeowners prepare for future storms and scenarios of sea level rise.

You can join events across the Maine coast during the high water season to contribute photographic data and your own perspectives to our database, learn how community-collected data informs long-term planning and near-term emergency preparedness, and connect with other community scientists tracking coastal change around the Gulf of Maine.

Coastal Flooding Community Science Team