Rising Seas Threaten to Inundate Jamestown Island, Virginia

Jamestown Island, the site of the first permanent English colony in North America, faces an existential threat from rising sea levels and severe storm surges. Much of the land is less than five feet above water and is sinking due to groundwater extraction. Local sea levels are rising at more than twice the global average, with projections suggesting a rise of up to six feet by the end of the century. The area is highly vulnerable to stronger North Atlantic storms, as evidenced by Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which caused $20 million in damages to the Colonial National Historical Park and threatened nearly a million artifacts. While the National Park Service has implemented protections like riprap and is monitoring sea level rise, some areas, such as a corner of the original Jamestown Fort, have already been lost.

• Jamestown Island is highly vulnerable to inundation because most of its land is less than five feet above sea level, a margin that is decreasing due to shoreline erosion and land subsidence caused in part by groundwater extraction.
• Sea levels around Jamestown are rising at more than double the global average. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science projects coastal water rises of up to two feet by 2050 and up to six feet by 2100.
• Increased ocean temperatures are strengthening North Atlantic storms, leading to severe impacts such as those from Hurricane Isabel in 2003, which caused $20 million in damages to the national park and endangered nearly one million artifacts.
• The National Park Service and Preservation Virginia are attempting to mitigate damage through the installation of riprap breakwaters and ongoing monitoring, although some historic structures, including a corner of the original Jamestown Fort, have already been lost.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Rising Seas Threaten to Inundate Jamestown Island, Virginia. https://www.ucs.org/resources/rising-seas-threaten-inundate-jamestown-island-virginia

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Rising Seas Threaten to Inundate Jamestown Island, Virginia. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/resources/rising-seas-threaten-inundate-jamestown-island-virginia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Rising Seas Threaten to Inundate Jamestown Island, Virginia |date=19 July 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/resources/rising-seas-threaten-inundate-jamestown-island-virginia |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016rising, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Rising Seas Threaten to Inundate Jamestown Island, Virginia}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/resources/rising-seas-threaten-inundate-jamestown-island-virginia}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }