Virginia’s Changing Coasts
Virginia’s Changing Coasts, Virginia Wildlife, January 2010
Virginia's beaches and coastal islands are threatened by sea level rise
It is no surprise that the coastline around New Orleans is America’s most threatened — Hurricane Katrina revealed New Orleans’ vulnerabilities all too well. But, many readers will be surprised to learn that America’s second-most-threatened coastline is Virginia’s. As sea level continues to rise, and storms and tidal surges grow fiercer, Virginia could see a substantial amount of its beaches, salt marshes and islands disappear beneath the water.
In a short feature for Virginia Wildlife, I explore the risks posed by sea level rise, and discuss the changes that Virginia’s residents and wildlife can expect to see in the coming decades, if not sooner.
Download the full article: Virginia’s Changing Coasts
Cristina Santiestevan is an environmental writer and communications consultant. She writes about issues as varied as clouded leopards in Thailand, climate change in American forests and mushroom foraging in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Her work appears in magazines, museum exhibits and nonprofit publications.