MORNING-- ON WAVY NEWS 10 TODAY.
(TOM)
UNTIL THIS YEAR, PRESIDENT
TRUMP HAD CALLED CLIMATE CHANGE
A HOAX.
A YEAR AGO, THE NAVY
DISBANDED ITS TASK FORCE ON
CLIMATE CHANGE AFTER 11 YEARS.
(ANITA)
DESPITE THOSE DEVELOPMENTS -
LOCAL LEADERS ARE TAKING CLIMATE
CHANGE VERY SERIOUSLY.
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER CHRIS
HORNE LOOKS AT HOW PREPARED WE
ARE AS A REGION FOR SEVERE
WEATHER AND RISING SEAS.
CHRIS?
(CHRIS)
FROM SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHERS
AT ODU TO NEIGHBORHOOD ACTIVISTS
- PEOPLE IN HAMPTON ROADS ARE
PASSIONATE.
TODAY'S NUISANCE FLOODING
COULD LEAD TO TOMORROW'S
RELOCATING OF HOMES.
THEY'RE GETING "READY FOR THE
RISE" NOW BECAUSE THEY SAY
THERE'S NO OTHER CHOICE.
(CHRIS HORNE REPORTING)
FROM RESEARCH LEVEL PHDS...
EMILY STEINHILBER / ODU RESEARCH
PROFESSOR -- THIS IS DEFINITELY
VIRGINIA WASSERBERG / VIRGINIA
BEACH RESIDENT -- FLOODING
REALLY HAS AN EXTREME EFFECT ON
OUR EVERYDAY LIVES
PEOPLE IN HAMPTON ROADS TAKE
CLIMATE CHANGE, SEA LEVEL RISE
AND EXTREME WEATHER SERIOUSLY.
FLOODING WAS WIDESPREAD DURING
MATTHEW.
BUT WE WERE LUCKY WHEN HURRICANE
FLORENCE JOGGED TO THE SOUTH AT
THE LAST MINUTE.
EMILY STEINHILBER / ODU RESEARCH
PROFESSOR -- IF THIS HAD BEEN
THE BIG ONE FOR THIS REGION, WE
COULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT ABOUT
40 BILLION DOLLARS IN DIRECT AND
INDIRECT ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES
FOR THE REGION, AND THAT'S
BEN MCFARLANE / HRPDC WATER
RESOURCES -- TEN YEARS AGO I
THINK WE WERE A LITTLE HESITANT
TO BE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF
THESE ISSUES
BEN MCFARLANE OF THE HAMPTON
ROADS PLANNING DISTRICT
COMMISSION HAS HAD TO CHANGE THE
WAY HE COORDINATES LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
BEN MCFARLANE / HRPDC WATER
RESOURCES -- WE USED TO FOCUS
SOLELY ON THE TIDAL FLOODING
ISSUE. I THINK WE NOW HAVE AN
APPRECIATION OF THE POTENTIAL
THREAT OF COMPOUND EVENTS THAT
COMBINE HEAVY LEVELS OF RAINFALL
WITH TIDAL ISSUES LIKE A HIGH
TIDE OR STORM SURGE EVENT
NAT SOT MIKE MUNDY / VIRGINIA
BEACH STORMWATER MANAGEMENT --
WE CAN'T THROW ALL OF IT
DOWNSTREAM, BECAUSE THEN WE'RE
VIRGINIA BEACH ENGINEER MIKE
MUNDY FIGURES OUT WHERE TO STORE
AND MOVE STORMWATER. THAT
INVOLVES TEAMWORK WITH
SURROUNDING CITIES.
MIKE MUNDY / MIKE MUNDY /
VIRGINIA BEACH STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT -- WE'RE GONNA WANT
TO GO INTO NORFOLK AND INTO
CHESAPEAKE AND INTO NORTH
CAROLINA TO DO PROTECTION, SO BY
HAVING OUR INFORMATION AND
SHARING IT WITH THEM, WE CAN ALL
WORK TOGETHER
USING DEVICES LIKE THIS NEAR
ASHVILLE PARK - KNOWN AS A
"WEIR" - WATER LEVELS CAN BE
MANIPULATED BEFORE STORMS ARRIVE
TO MITIGATE FLOODING.
BOB JENNINGS IS 72, WITH THE
LAST 36 YEARS IN WINDSOR WOODS.
BOB JENNINGS / VIRGINIA BEACH
RESIDENT -- I'VE NEVER SEEN THIS
IN MY ENTIRE LIFE FLOOD LIKE
THIS BEFORE
JENNINGS KEEPS AN EYE ON THE
HE SAYS POLITICAL POWER CAN RISE
AND FALL WHEN IT COMES TO
CLIMATE CHANGE.
BOB JENNINGS / VIRGINIA BEACH
RESIDENT -- WE'RE GETTING OUT
THE VOTE FOR THAT
BOB JENNINGS / VIRGINIA BEACH
RESIDENT -- THERE IS A LOT OF
CONVERSATIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
EXACTLY ABOUT THIS, AND THEY'RE
WANTING THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS
AND FOLKS TO DO SOMETHING.
COUNCIL WOMAN BARBARA HENLEY IS
LISTENING.
BARBARA HENLEY / VIRGINIA BEACH
CITY COUNCIL -- THE WEATHER'S
JUST UP AND DOWN. IT'S CLIMATE
CHANGE I GUESS.
HER FAMILY HAS FARMED BERRIES
BARBARA HENLEY / VIRGINIA BEACH
CITY COUNCIL -- FARMING HAS
NEVER BEEN PREDICTABLE. IT'S
ALWAYS BEEN A GAMBLE. BUT IT WAS
MORE PREDICTABLE.
SHE SAYS NOW HER AREA DOESN'T
BARBARA HENLEY / VIRGINIA BEACH
CITY COUNCIL -- WHEN WE GET A
STRONG SOUTH WIND, IT BLOWS THE
WATER UP HERE FROM THE
ALBEMARLE, AND GETS ALL THE WAY
UP HERE INTO THE BAYS AND THE
RIVERS AND IF IT KEEP BLOWING IT
OVERFLOWS.
AND IT'S PUTTING MORE RESIDENTS
AT RISK.
EMILY STEINHILBER / ODU RESEARCH
PROFESSOR -- WHETHER IT'S
MEDICALLY FRAGILE OR LOWER
INCOME AREAS, AND THOSE
COMMUNITIES STAND TO BE THE MOST
IMPACTED.
VIRGINIA WASSERBERG / VIRGINIA
BEACH RESIDENT -- CHILDREN CAN'T
GET TO SCHOOL, MOMS AND DADS
CAN'T GET TO WORK, RETIREES
CAN'T DO WHAT IT IS THAT THEY
LOVE AND WANT TO DO.
MCFARLANE SAYS LARGE SCALE
BEN MCFARLANE / HRPDC WATER
RESOURCES -- STORM SURGE
BARRIERS OR MAJOR INVESTMENTS IN
RAISING HOMES OR ACTUALLY
AS THE FLOOD LEVELS GET TALLER
BEN MCFARLANE / HRPDC WATER
RESOURCES --THERE IS TIME TO ACT
BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE
CONVERSATIONS NOW. THE SOONER WE
START TO PLAN THE BETTER OFF
WE'RE GOING TO BE.
(CHRIS)
VIMS - THE VIRGINIA INSTITUTE
FOR MARINE SCIENCE - WORKS WITH
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO MODEL THE
EFFECTS OF STORMS AND FLOODING
SO THEY CAN BETTER PREPARE.
VIRGINIA BEACH ENGINEERS SAY
TIDEGATES, WEIRS AND PUMP
STATIONS ARE SOME OF THE MOST
EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PROTECT FLOOD
PRONE AREAS.