New Hampshire Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies that under a high sea level rise scenario, four New Hampshire communities will face chronic inundation by 2100, defined as high tide flooding 10% or more of usable non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. While the 10% threshold is reached late in the century due to inland areas and higher elevations, low-lying neighborhoods in towns like Seabrook and Hampton already experience disruptive flooding. The report suggests that limiting warming to 1.8°C could spare up to four communities from this fate. Recommended policy responses include phasing out risky coastal development, enhancing FEMA's disaster response frameworks, and creating new programs for retreat and relocation.

• Under the 'intermediate' sea level rise scenario, one New Hampshire community is projected to face chronic inundation by 2100; this number increases to four communities under the 'high' scenario, encompassing most of the state's Seacoast.
• Chronic inundation is defined as high tide flooding that affects 10 percent or more of a community's usable, non-wetland area at least 26 times per year, or roughly every other week.
• Although the 10 percent threshold for chronic inundation is not reached until late in the century for these communities, low-lying neighborhoods will flood sooner, with towns such as Hampton and Seabrook already experiencing disruptive frequent flooding.
• Limiting future warming to approximately 1.8°C (the 'low' scenario) could prevent up to four New Hampshire communities from experiencing chronic inundation by 2100.
• The document proposes three policy response categories: halting risky coastal development (e.g., updating flood risk maps and building codes), enhancing existing frameworks (e.g., funding FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program), and creating new measures for retreat and relocation from inundated areas.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2017). New Hampshire Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-newhampshire-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. New Hampshire Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME. 2017. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-newhampshire-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=New Hampshire Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME |date=July 2017 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-newhampshire-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2017new, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{New Hampshire Faces WHEN RISING SEAS HIT HOME}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2017}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2017/07/when-rising-seas-hit-home-newhampshire-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }