Back in 2012: Superstorm Sandy and Chincoteague

storm shelter for Chincoteague Island residents is west of Route 13, on mainland
Source: Google

This time in 2012, Superstorm Sandy dominated the news in Virginia:

- the causeway to Chincoteague Island from the mainland was closed at 7:15am on October 29, 2012, isolating anyone who was unable to leave before one foot of water blocked the road where it reached the island

- Arcadia Middle School was Accomack County's official shelter for Hurricane Sandy. That school is 23 feet above sea level. There is no shelter on the island itself, which is 7' high according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).

- the second October 29, 2012 high tide on Chincoteague Island was 7:00-9:00pm, so major flooding occurred in the dark

- A major land use issue on Chincoteague Island is providing parking for tourists who visit the beach on the Atlantic Ocean side. The Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge has noted:

Last year (i.e., in 2011), the parking lots, made of loose shell and sand so as not to disrupt the natural terrain, were over-washed eight times by storms – more than any year in recent memory. Every time the lots are washed away, the National Park Service, who maintain the beach in partnership with the [US Fish and Wildlife] Service, has to rebuild the lots at a cost that can exceed $600,000. It’s a cost the American taxpayer has born almost on an annual basis only to see Mother Nature hit the reset button during the next, inevitable storm and wash it all away.

- Federal agencies have proposed eliminating the parking lots and busing tourists to beach. The Mayor of Town of Chincoteague responded:

- We have a short [tourism] season at Chincoteague and we’re in competition with other beach communities for visitors... If we move the parking off of the beach, how do we keep visitors happy? What would the town look like without tourism?

- the town's response to Federal consideration of "strategic retreat" (abandoning efforts to maintain parking area on shoreline as sea level rises, and to use an alternative transportation system to carry tourists to beach) was to propose sand replenishment:

The impact of a policy to allow barrier island migration should be compared to recreational beach replenishment through expansion of the Wallops Island and/or Ocean City inlet projects... Any acceptable alternative to relocate the recreational beach use and private vehicle parking must include direct beach access for a minimum of 961 parking spaces.

- the town proposes that land acquired for wildlife protection should be used to support recreational use not related to wildlife, so property within the town itself can be used for activities that generate more income than parking:

An Emergency Plan for the short term mananagement of public beach access during a post-storm restoration period is necessary, including options for interim use of Refuge land areas for parking. Large remote parking areas within Town limits are not a reasonable or cost effective solution and are not recommended.

- Now use your geo-expertise to think for yourself. Who will benefit from maintaining the drive-your-personal-car-to-the-beach option? Who should pay?

predicted impact of .7 meters of sea level rise, contrasting current vs. 2100 shape of Chincoteague Island
Source: Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM)

Sources:
Sea level rise at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Chincoteague businesses boarding up before Sandy arrives
UPDATE: High water plagues coastal Va., Town of Chincoteague comments - December 7, 2010