June 16th Meeting Recap!

On June 16th, meteorologists and weather enthusiasts from around central Virginia gathered for the first time digitally via zoom to listen to Dr. Brian Batten and Ms. Sue Kribal. Both presenters work for Dewberry, which is a nationwide firm that plans and designs construction projects and intitiatives. Dr. Batten and Ms. Kribal are both working on a research project funded by the Virginia Beach city councel to determine the best steps to take in regards to sea level rise mitigation and adaptation. As project manager, Dr. Batten oversaw the comprehensive flood resilience study for the city of Virginia Beach.

The meeting started off with a meet and greet. Chapter president Peter Effertz then notified members that elections are coming up! Anyone who is interested in assuming an officer position is highly encouraged to run!

The Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) also came on during the meeting to showcase one of their animals!

Soon afterwards, Dr. Batten and Ms. Kribal gave a thorough and interesting presentation on sea level rise in Virginia Beach and the methods that can be used to combat it. Using model simulations and data, Batten, Kribal, and their coworkers concluded that aroud 1.5 feet of sea level rise could be expected by 2070 and potenially up to 3 feet by 2100. Some of the main points were that natural planting and revitaliztion of marshes and natural barriers could be instremental in increasing water friction, and thus decreasing the amount of water that travels into the city. Another solution would be to elevate homes and use different construction techniques in high flood prone areas. The third proposal is to construct barriers along the coast and inside of the city where water could overflow during high rain / southerly wind events.

Ms. Kribal also provided the news that just minutes before the meeting that the city councel approved of their suggested solutions and intiaives, and will soon begein the multi - year process of preparing Virginia Beach for sea level rise.

Below is also the link for our entire meeting!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ek5Kz0rfFSeTPBhV1lcNkLumdNqLBh0B/view?usp=sharing

Our next meeting will be August 20th, but specifics are unknown at this time. Have a great day and we can't wait to see you at our next meeting!

Attatched below are some graphics presented in the report that provide information on sea level rise in Virginia Beach.