Coastal Hazard Adaptation Team (CHAT)

Upcoming CHAT Meeting

The next CHAT meeting date is Tuesday, February 20th from 1-3 p.m.

 Meeting Zoom Link & Upcoming Meeting Agenda

Coastal Hazards & Adaptation Team (CHAT)

Background

In August of 2018, the Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance (SHEA) and NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program (NHCP) secured funding from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy through an award from the Consensus Building Institute. Phase 1 involved working with a Planning Consultant to gain a better understanding of flood vulnerabilities, concerns, and potential adaptation strategies for the Town of Hampton, NH. During this process, the need for enhanced coordination of flood-related projects, planning efforts, regulations, and policy emerged as a key component of effective flood adaptation in Hampton. The Coastal Hazards & Adaptation Team (CHAT) was formed as an ad hoc working group in January 2019 to help address this need. CHAT is comprised of representatives from boards and commissions in Hampton, Town of Hampton staff, Hampton Beach Area Commission, Hampton Beach Village District, the Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance (SHEA), and resident representatives. NHDES Coastal Program staff and a consultant provide support. SHEA serves as the administrator and fiscal agent of CHAT.

Mission

To evaluate, assist, support, educate and advise on current and future coastal flooding adaptation strategies for the town.

Objectives

  • Improve coordination of flood hazard management and adaptation efforts in Hampton. 

  • Investigate, evaluate and prioritize flood management and adaptation strategies and present recommendations to the municipal boards, commissions and staff for consideration.

  • Conduct education and public outreach to inform residents about flood hazard adaptation strategies, inform residents about the management and adaptation options the Town is considering, and enable residents to provide input on management and adaptation options the Town is considering.

Member

Updates

 

2024 Member Updates

2024 Member Updates

JAN 2024 FEB 2024 MAR 2024
APR 2024 MAY 2024 JUN 2024
JUL 2024 AUG 2024 SEP 2024
OCT 2024 NOV 2024 DEC 2024

2021 Member Updates

Project to address coastal flooding in Hampton

The Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance (SHEA), in partnership with the NH Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program, has embarked on a long-term planning process to research and guide coastal adaptation strategies to cope with coastal flooding from high tides, storm surges, and sea-level rise in Hampton, NH. Phase 1 of this project was funded by a Climigration grant from The Consensus-Building Institute, and provided by the Lincoln Financial Group.

In Phase 1, SHEA and the Coastal Program have performed a “Situation Assessment” to better understand flooding impacts, costs, concerns, and experiences in Hampton. The Situation Assessment was based on the results of an extensive survey completed by 69 Hampton residents and property owners, plus select one-on-one interviews. See below to view the Situation Assessment.

The results of this Assessment will help inform an effort (Phase 2) to evaluate a range of strategies to “keep water out,” “live with water,” and/or “get out of the water’s way” at the property and Town-wide levels. The investigation and evaluation is being conducted by the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Team (CHAT). CHAT is comprised of members of the Hampton Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Adjustment, Department of Public Works, Hampton Beach Village District, Hampton Beach Area Commission, the Hampton Town Planner, the Hampton Conservation Coordinator, and three representative residents from different neighborhoods which are each impacted by rising tides and storm surges. The ultimate goal of this long-term planning process is to empower Hampton to plan for community-wide coastal flooding adaptation.

Situation Assessment

Click HERE for the results of the Phase 1 Situation Assessment.

Draft CHAT Recommendations

After almost two years of research, investigations, listening to guest speakers on many topics, the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Team (CHAT) has created draft recommendations for ways that the Town of Hampton may deal with increasing sea-level rise, tidal flooding and storm surge activity. Each recommendation includes suggested time to implement the recommendation; which groups might be responsible for overseeing or implementing each idea; potential partners outside of Hampton’s town government; a rough idea of potential costs associated with each recommendation; and potential funding sources for each.
As of December, 2020, the draft recommendations are being presented to Hampton’s Boards, Committees, Commissions, as well as to the public for comments and suggested edits. If you have comments or suggestions, please send them to info@shea4nh.org

This Engagement Strategy was developed to guide community outreach and engagement on CHAT’s recommendations to the Town of Hampton to increase resilience to flooding and coastal hazards.

The purpose of the engagement effort is to:
• Increase awareness of the CHAT’s recommendations
• Identify what is missing from the draft list recommendations and how can the list be improved
• Increase public understanding of the recommendations, what they mean, and why they were developed
• Identify any equity issues associated with the recommendations and/or who is at the table
• Assess how the outreach and engagement needs for individual recommendations and target audiences vary

CHAT Annual Reviews

These are reviews and summaries of the issues that the Coastal Hazards Adaptation Team explored and discussed each year. It includes CHAT processes and procedures; mapping and other exercises that CHAT undertook; links to some of the resources CHAT consulted; and some of the findings that came from CHAT’s investigative work during the course of the year.

 

2023 CHAT Review

2022 CHAT Review

2019 CHAT Review

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