Supporting coastal flood forecasting and community-led adaptation with tide gauges, community science and youth engagement

As sea level rise shifts coastal flooding from future threat to present reality, communities must transition from planning to implementing operational solutions for managing increasingly frequent and damaging floods. Coastal flood management requires both technical and human capacity, including access to reliable water level forecasts, established relationships between water level and local impact, and an informed and engaged network of practitioners and community members. Here, we describe the transferable approach of a multidisciplinary team of research, civic, community, education, and industry partners working to expand the collection of coastal water level and flood impact data in coastal Maine, USA. The approach centers community leadership and youth engagement to achieve project sustainability and translation of data toward community resilience. We installed a network of ultrasonic and radar tide gauges and developed local capacity for running and sustaining a coastal-flooding community science program that collects geo- and time-referenced flood impact data. We also involved youth through a newly developed curriculum in which students contribute flood observation data and engage with decision-makers in their communities around flood adaptation strategies. National Weather Service forecasters are using paired water level and flood impact observations to establish new total water level forecast points, local flood thresholds, and detailed impact statements. Municipalities are applying the data to near-term event response and long-term climate planning and adaptation projects. Embedding flood awareness in communities through this suite of data, tools, activities, and events is fostering a form of climate resilience and preparedness that is somewhat intangible and yet deeply valuable.