California Beaches Make The Grade In Climate Change Prep Report

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — The Surfrider Foundation's "State of the Beach" report for 2020 gives California beaches an A grade for climate change planning, it was announced this week. Roughly 24 percent of coastal states achieved passing grades in the report.

California is one of eight coastal states leading the charge for climate change planning, a spokesperson for the nonprofit Surfrider Foundation says. By comparison, 74 percent of coastal states are doing a "mediocre to poor job" of managing shorelines and preparing for future sea level rise.

Most of the lowest grades are in regions heavily impacted by extreme weather events, the report said.

The eight top states are doing a "good or better" job of protecting beaches.

California was the only state to receive an A grade, according to the Surfrider Foundation.

The higher-scoring states had strong policies regarding coastal building setbacks, prohibitions against coastal "armoring" and rebuilding in coastal hazard areas, and support for incorporating sea level rise and coastal adaptation into planning documents. In California, state law dictates that coastal cities — such as Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach— incorporate a regular evaluation of sea level change into their general plan. Along coastal communities, new development must assess the potential for flooding or damage related to sea level rise, and homes on bluffs are required to use setbacks, according to that plan.

The lower-graded states states— many facing the Gulf of Mexico, the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean — have less-stringent policies regarding development in hazardous coastal zones, sediment management, ineffective or nonexistent regulations on coastal armoring, and little in the way of policies that require the incorporation of sea level rise projections into coastal planning, according to the foundation.

This year’s report reveals the majority of coastal and Great Lakes states and territories are doing a mediocre to poor job of responding to coastal erosion and planning for sea level rise, the Surfrider Foundation found.

States receiving F grades included Georgia, Alabama, Ohio and Indiana.

According to Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, coastal preservation manager at the Surfrider Foundation, local communities are experiencing climate change impacts across the board, from unprecedented fires to extreme hurricanes and increasing sea level rise.

"Scientists predict these impacts will continue to grow, especially for coastal communities," Sekich-Quinn said. "It is imperative that states and municipalities improve shoreline management practices by curtailing poorly planned development, planning for sea level rise, and investing in proactive, nature-based solutions. Our report recommendations aim to improve responses to coastal threats, thereby ensuring strong, resilient coastlines for the future generations."

The report also posits that the United States will experience drastically more flooding in the future than previously calculated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

How in danger is your home of flooding? Check out this resource to see your current flood risk.

The Surfrider Foundation estimates that 14.6 million properties are at risk from a "100-year flood," far more than the 8.7 million properties estimated by FEMA.

The Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and enjoying the planet's ocean, waves and beaches.

The organization was founded in 1984 in Malibu and now maintains more than 1 million supporters, activists and members.