Impacts

Chronic flooding impacts people differently than extreme events like hurricanes. Chronic flooding is not as deep and widespread as storm surges from hurricanes, but it is more frequent. The high frequency of chronic flooding disrupts daily travel to school, work, and businesses. Chronic flooding could also increase infrastructure maintenance costs for coastal communities.

The Dynamics of Extreme Events, People, and Places (DEEPP) Project, directed by Dr. Elizabeth Frankenburg (UNC Chapel Hill), found that coastal NC residents across four counties report a wide range of disruptions to daily life from flooding.

Percentage of respondents that reported flooding impacts by county. Impacts included property flooding outside of hurricanes and disruptions to school, commutes, errands, and social activities (DEEPP).

We talked to people in Carteret County about how chronic flooding impacts them. We focused on the Down East region, which includes 13 low-lying rural communities between Beaufort and the Cedar Island ferry. Many residents thought of chronic flooding as part of normal life. However, flooding impacts people there by covering roads, damaging property, and disrupting schedules.

People say flooding is the price of living in a coastal paradise. We use the acronym PRICE to refer to five categories of impacts that came up in our interviews. These categories are Property, Roads, Infrastructure, Children, and Emerging impacts. Increasingly, people living in coastal areas feel and deal with these impacts.

We asked residents of Down East Carteret County, NC, which important places and roadways they see flooding outside of hurricanes. The North River Bridge is the only public road connecting Down East to the mainland.

Property

Chronic flooding impacts property through direct damage and limiting land use. We heard chronic flooding damages low-lying buildings and property. Chronic flooding and high water tables also limit land use. When soils do not drain well, it is harder for landowners to permit a septic system. This limits development, especially in rural areas without piped sewers. When a community cannot develop land, it loses out on resources and opportunities. Research also indicates that chronic flooding can depress property values in affected areas.

Roads

Flooding roadways are a common concern. Although it might look like just a puddle, floodwaters can damage vehicles. The salt in tidal floodwaters accelerates rusting and damage to metal parts. Knowing this, coastal residents often avoid driving through water. Frequent flooding disrupts daily life when people are unwilling to drive through floodwaters. If they can, residents stay home to avoid flooding. Being cut off from people and services has many ripple effects. Research suggests chronic flooding is already extending commute times in coastal counties.

Infrastructure

Infrastructure includes collectively managed systems and utilities, like electricity and internet. Chronic flooding can impact these systems when pipes, wires, and components sit on low-lying land. Ions in saltwater quickly rust metal, like wires in broadband internet junction boxes. Repeated flooding undermines roadbeds. Saturated soils prevent septic systems from working properly. Estimating the cost of infrastructure damage and delays from chronic flooding is an area of active research.

Children

There is relatively little research about how chronic flooding impacts children in the US. We heard about disruptions to education. Schools find ways to excuse absences and release students early to avoid flooding roads. Children and families make the most of living with flooding. It can be a source of entertainment, with kids playing in boats and boogie boards in flooded yards. Nonetheless, flooding complicates getting kids to school and activities.

Emerging impacts

We heard about other emerging impacts. These include damaged docks, shipping delays, and difficulties hosting guests. A particular concern is delayed emergency response. People worry that flooded roads could slow down an ambulance. During medical emergencies like heart attacks, time is of the essence. We expect coastal communities will get older. This dangerous situation could become more common without planning and action.

Coastal communities in North Carolina and other states are increasingly dealing with tidal floods. During these events, tidal floodwaters can become contaminated with various biological and chemical substances. For this reason, it is recommended to minimize or avoid contact with floodwater to protect our health and the health of our communities.

Researchers on our team investigating the water quality of tidal floodwaters have created a fact sheet with more information, guidance, and resources.

This fact sheet explains what communities and landowners can do today to reduce the impacts of tidal floods. It reviews devices that modify or “retrofit” ditches and underground pipe systems. These strategies improve water management in urban and rural coastal communities over short timespans (several years).