Coastal Impact Matrix

We are providing this chart so that communities can gauge their specific risks and vulnerabilities in relation to each other and the region as a whole. On the left are some of the climate-driven impacts— beach erosion, marsh loss, and flooding of buildings and roads—that are projected for 2050 from storms and sea level rise. The chart also shows rates of short- and long-term beach erosion, an impact that has already been experienced by most communities. For beaches in more developed areas, even small rates of erosion can be problematic because their migration may be restricted by development or armored shorelines. You can see, for example, that Salisbury is likely to have more buildings flooded in a 10-year storm (1,646) compared to Essex (325) or Salem (1,095). At the same time, Salisbury appears to have had a relatively moderate long-term rate of beach erosion compared to some other communities shown. Click here to download the data.