Summit County Citizens Voice

Recent natural and man-made disasters highlight vulnerability of coastal region

Thousands of miles of roads are at risk from sea level rise.

By Summit Voice

SUMMIT COUNTY — Up to 60 percent of the Gulf Coast shoreline is considered very vulnerable to sea level rise, according to a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released last week.

“The natural disasters the Gulf of Mexico has endured over the past decade have cast a national spotlight on the strong interconnection between the Gulf economy and ecosystems and its people,” said Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator.

“This report provides a valuable snapshot of the region for our partners, government and non-government alike, who work to protect lives and property, sustain the resilient Gulf ecosystem, and advance the scientific and stewardship goals outlined in the President’s National Ocean Policy.”

Impacts from rising seas could have a huge impact to key ports in the region, as well  2,400 miles of major roadway and 246 miles of freight rail lines that are at risk of permanent flooding within 50 to 100 years, if relative sea level rises four feet. The Gulf coast is particularly at risk to service disruptions due to the interdependent nature of a transportation network that relies on minor roads and other low-lying infrastructure.

The Gulf of Mexico at a Glance: A Second Glance  gives coastal managers, planners, citizens and policy officials a reference to support regional decision-making and communications about the importance of healthy Gulf coastal ecosystems to a robust national economy.

The latest edition updates the original 2008 version of the report with new data from the Census Bureau and the EPA.

Highlights of the report’s summary facts include:

Gulf Communities:

• Population in the 141 coastal watershed counties of the Gulf Coast Region, has increased 109 percent since 1970, compared to a 52 percent increase in total U.S. population.
• 17 percent of the population in the Gulf Coast region lives below the poverty level, compared to 13 percent nationally.

Gulf Economy:

• If they were their own country, the five U.S. Gulf states—Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas—would together rank seventh in global Gross Domestic Product.
• The Gulf Coast Region had 13 of the nation’s 20 leading ports for tonnage in 2009.
• In 2009, three of the top six commercial fishing ports in the U.S. by pounds landed were in the Gulf Coast region.

Gulf Ecosystems:

• More than 15,000 plant and animal species are found in Gulf of Mexico waters.
• 31 percent of the Gulf of Mexico coastal watershed area is comprised of wetlands, a total of 28,372 square miles of this valuable natural resource.
• Nearly 60 percent of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico shoreline is considered very vulnerable to sea level rise.

Created by NOAA’s National Ocean Service, The Gulf of Mexico at a Glance: A Second Glance, as well as other NOAA State of the Coast website resources,can be viewed and downloaded online.

Filed under: climate and weather, Environment, federal government, global warming, Summit County news Tagged: | Environment, Gulf Coast, Gulf of Mexico, NOAA, sea level rise, Summit County News