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Study models 5‑ and 7‑foot seawall scenarios, notes need for pumps and storage
Summary
County modeling treats existing 5-foot seawalls as a baseline (tier 1) and models 7-foot seawalls with pumps and other measures as tier 2; presenters said seawalls alone are insufficient without active stormwater management behind them.
Dr. Jennifer Geraldo detailed the adaptation strategy tiers used in the county modeling and emphasized that seawalls are only one element of a broader package of measures.
"I wanted to acknowledge that we assume that the 5 foot seawalls that are part of existing ordinance are part of the tier 1 strategies," Geraldo said, explaining that the team modeled a second tier that included 7-foot seawalls plus pumps and additional conveyance to manage water pushed inland by higher barriers. She noted that while 7-foot seawalls were modeled, final standards might land at intermediate heights (for example, 6.5 feet) depending on engineering and policy choices.
Geraldo emphasized the need for active stormwater systems behind seawalls: when higher seawalls create a barrier to tides, inland storage and pumps are required to move accumulated water to waterways or discharge points. The presentation described roadway conversions, subsurface storage chambers and green infrastructure as modeled tools to regain storage capacity in built-out areas.
The county will include site-level schematics and pump-operation concepts in the final municipal rollups; presenters told the commission they do not have full engineering placement details in the live slide deck but will provide the assumptions and technical details in the accompanying memo and viewer tool.
