Resilient Woods Hole details sea‑level risks and local fixes to Falmouth emergency planners

Mike Barrett, a HUI employee and presenter with Resilient Woods Hole, told the Town of Falmouth’s Local Emergency Planning Committee that Woods Hole has already recorded about 1 foot of sea‑level rise since the 1930s and that state‑approved flood modeling shows large parts of the village face annual inundation risks under future scenarios.

The presentation, given at the committee meeting, outlined a multi‑phase effort: an institutional inventory of at‑risk buildings, a roads and parcel vulnerability analysis, and sustained community outreach that includes a 3‑D model and a climate walking tour. Barrett said the group’s goal is to give institutions and residents tools to prioritize protective measures and to help the town apply for state and federal grant funding where eligible.

"We are a private–public initiative to ensure the vibrant and productive village of Woods Hole prospers well into the future," Barrett said, describing the partnership among major local institutions and town officials. He noted the group uses the state‑approved flood model and the Woods Hole Group’s technical work to produce maps that, in Barrett’s words, ‘‘show that anything you see in black ……