FAIRFIELD, Conn. A substantial pool of water surged onto Fairfields shoreline last weekend. During and soon after Hurricane Irene, streets along Fairfield Beach flooded up to a half-mile inland. That change in coastline subsided after a day or two, but a more permanent shift could hit our shores in the future.
Rising seas in Long Island Sound will increase the intensity, duration and frequency of high water levels associated with coastal storm flooding, said a sustainability amendment adopted by the city of Stamfords Master Plan to prepare for rising tides. The sea level in the New York metropolitan area is expected to rise 2.5 to 7 inches in the next 25 years, 6 to 15 inches in the next 50 years, and 1 to 3 feet in the next 100 years, according to research used for the plan.
For its part, Fairfield and its residents are working to slow climate change by cutting greenhouse gases. Along with switching its vehicles to those that produce fewer carbon emissions, Fairfield is one of the top participants in the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities program. The statewide initiative gives towns grants as residents sign up for clean energy options through their electric companies.
As of March, a total of 791 Fairfield families had joined the program. That gives the town the third-highest number in Connecticut, behind only New Haven and West Hartford.
Fairfields strong support earned the town seven free solar energy systems, which now sit on the roofs of its three middle schools. Since the first panel was installed in 2005, they have avoided more carbon emissions than an average home would create in a year.
On a more practical level, Fairfield also has steps in place to curb coastal flooding in some of its neighborhoods. In 1981, Conservation Director Thomas Steinke oversaw the construction of self-regulating tide gates in the entrance to Pine Creeks marsh. These dikes allow saltwater into the marsh normally, allowing the ecosystem to thrive and provide a natural barrier for incoming waters.
But when water levels reach a certain point, those gates close automatically. This prevents coastal flooding from creeping into the developed areas around the creek. Since then, Fairfield also installed similar dikes at Ash Creek, Turney Creek, Mill River, Horse Tavern Creek and Sasco Creek.
The tide gates and the dike kept our Pine Creek area from any flooding damage during Hurricane Irene, lifelong Pine Creek area resident and former Police Chief Dave Peck said in an email. We all owe [Steinke] our thanks for keeping us safe and flood free while at the same time bringing our salt marsh back to life.
Do you think Fairfields coastline can survive the rising waters caused by global warming? How are you doing your part to prevent it?
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