OP ED: The Challenge of Sea Level Rise to Our San Mateo County Communities

Submitted for publication on behalf of Dave Pine and Don Horsley, who serve on the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors:

Many readers by now have heard of “king tides” - the highest high tides of the year which occurred last week. These high tides, which happen when there is alignment of the gravitational pull between sun and moon, give us a glimpse of the future with sea level rise.

While king tides bring higher water to the shoreline, storms also elevate water levels. The decrease in barometric pressure during a storm causes ocean waters to rise. Add in wind and waves, plus a high tide, and water levels today can rise by three and a half feet in San Mateo County.

According to the best available scientific projections for California, sea levels could increase by up to two feet in the next 35 years, and by up to five and a half feet by the end of the century. San Mateo County is especially vulnerable to rising seas. The Pacific Institute has calculated that the county has $25 billion of assets at risk from sea level rise, more than any other county in California, and approximately 115,000 people residing in areas that could be flooded. Moreover, our county has the most contaminated or hazardous sites at risk from sea level rise in the state, with about a quarter of the state’s sites located here.

Although the prospect of an increasingly wet future is daunting, the news isn’t all doom and gloom. Our county is a leader in preparing for sea level rise, and the work that we are doing now could serve as a model for other communities.

The County is currently conducting a vulnerability assessment, funded by the California Coastal Conservancy, to identify the assets that are at risk from flooding and erosion today and in the future. This planning process, called SeaChangeSMC, is a multi-year effort to develop strategies for preparing for sea level rise and extreme storm events.

It is crucial for everyone to learn as much as possible about the potential impact of sea level rise. That is why the Board of Supervisors authorized funding for the Youth Exploring Sea Level Rise project that will educate young students about this topic. During last week’s king tides, science students from Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, and Woodside high schools participated in a new service learning program to gather data and information that will help the County’s planning process.

Along with Assemblymember Rich Gordon, we will be hosting SeaChangeSMC’s first public workshop on Saturday, January 30th starting at 10 a.m. at Genentech’s beautiful campus in South San Francisco. This family-friendly event will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about the sea level rise and flooding risks facing our community and what is being done about them. Please join us, along with the rest of the SeaChangeSMC team, for this important conversation about the future of our communities. To register for the event go to http://seachangesmc.com/events/openhouse/.