Sea level rise in Westport

What is sea level rise?
A: Sea level rise is the increase in ocean water levels over long periods of time (tens to hundreds of years). Two main things cause sea level rise. First, as water gets warmer, it expands. Second, when glaciers and ice caps melt, more water is added to the ocean, increasing its volume.

This GIF shows probable sea level rise in the Westport area from 2040-2100. The blue shaded area represents the average high water tideline. 

In Westport, these community assets are most at risk:

• Pacific Shoreline condominiums and single-family homes
• Wastewater Treatment plant
• Westport Municipal Airport
• Marina District
• The Bayside shoreline and wetlands
• Half Moon Bay shoreline
• Low-lying roads
• Well water sources
• Westhaven and Westport Light state parks
  

Where can I learn more about sea level rise?

See the Washington Coastal Network resources for up-to-date sea level rise information and planning tools.
Visit the Grays Harbor County Marine Resources Committee webpage to learn more about local marine issues.
Check out maps and tools at Coastal Climate Central.

See the risks to Westport for yourself: Westport Climate Resilience Prioritization Toolkit. This risk prioritization toolkit was developed for Westport in 2022, in partnership with the New England Environmental Finance Center. It identifies the greatest risks to Westport’s community assets and infrastructure based on the likelihood and severity of different climate-related hazards.

Authors:
This landing page was developed by Tessa Harvey, Elana Tracy, Alison Lorenz, and MaryJordan Braley, as a part of a climate resilience engagement project for the City of Westport. This project was commissioned by the Cascadia Coastlines and Peoples Hazards Research Hub (Cascadia CoPes Hub) and funded by the National Science Foundation.