Cheryl Hapke Coauthors Paper on U.S. Community Perspectives on Coastal Flooding

Coastal flooding is one of the top management challenges facing U.S. coastal stakeholders today as its intensity increases with global sea level rise. Based on the results of an American Shore & Beach Preservation Association (ASBPA) survey of 106 coastal stakeholders from around the U.S., only 24% of respondents’ communities have coastal flooding adaption plans despite the vast majority recognizing flooding as a major challenge. Informed by results of this survey, Integral’s Cheryl Hapke, Ph.D., coauthored a paper that identifies the prioritized coastal management challenges, communicates the perspectives of coastal communities, and aims to provide guidance for future research investments related to coastal flooding.

Titled “U.S. Community Perspectives on Coastal Flooding,” this paper was coauthored by Nicole Elko, Tiffany R. Briggs, Reza Marsooli, Patrick Barrineau, Cheryl Hapke, Kimberly McKenna, Jonathan Simm, Marc Beyeler, Matt Smith, and Cary Troy. It will be included in the summer edition of Shore & Beach, the peer-reviewed journal of ASBPA. Findings of the paper will be also presented by one of the coauthors at ASBPA’s National Coast Conference this September.

Dr. Cheryl Hapke is a coastal geologist with more than 25 years of experience studying coastal evolution and coastal change processes in response to storms and future sea level rise in a variety of geomorphic settings, including barrier islands, mainland coasts, and rocky and reef-fringed coasts. Her research focuses on the vulnerability of coastal systems on various time scales, from single events to multiple decades, with application toward solving societal problems such as sea level rise through adaptation planning.

For more information about Integral’s coastal services, contact Dr. Hapke at chapke@integral-corp.com.