Climate Resilience for the 21st century - Smart Sea Level Sensors
Climate change represents an acute threat to coastal communities that face a combination of extreme precipitation events, storm surge, and rising seas. In Savannah, GA, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Irma in 2017 caused widespread flooding, with emergency managers reliant on a single NOAA tide gauge. As of January, 2020, the “Smart Sea Level Sensor Project” has installed more than 40 internet-enabled water level sensors across Chatham County, in close partnership with city and county officials. Partnerships with local community-based NGO’s and public schools aim to promote resilience among Savannah’s underserved communities. Such multi-disciplinary, multi-sector partnerships provide a template for successful climate adaptation strategies that are required to protect communities from the dangerous impacts of climate change.