Rising Seas & Sinking Land: How Coastal Virginia is Combating Climate Change

Money is key to making the Hampton Roads area resilient as land there sinks and sea-level rises, threatening a key part of the state's economy.  Cost estimates run into the billions of dollars.

Now, small businesses are stepping up with solutions.

Scientists at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science have been gathering data on sea level rise from tide gauge stations around the United States, including one at the mouth of the James River in Norfolk.

For three years they've issued a so-called sea level rise report card.  Recently released 2019 data confirms sea levels are rising faster than first thought.

For seven years, the Virginia Coastal Policy Center has been bringing together experts from around the country to help Virginia plan coastal adaptation and protection from rising waters due to climate change.

The biggest challenge so far is how to pay for it.

Rollbacks in environmental protection and flood risk management by the Trump administration is forcing states to come up with their own solutions. On Friday, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam mandated one of the country's strictest standards for state-owned properties in an effort to steer development away from flood-prone areas.

The tiny Town of Saxis on Virginia's Eastern Shore is learning to live with water.

Like other communities around the Chesapeake Bay, residents are looking at solutions to the erosion and frequent flooding that comes with climate change.