Stamford Coastal Resilience Plan COmmunity Meeting - June 24, 2026

June 24, 2026

Project Background

What is a Coastal Resilience Plan?

Coastal resilience means the ability of coastal communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure to anticipate, withstand, adapt to, and recover from, climate-related hazards (e.g., sea-level rise, coastal flooding, storm surge, erosion, extreme rainfall, and heat).

The Coastal Resilience Plan is being developed as a roadmap to resilience that will identify and propose actionable strategies to address coastal flood risks in Stamford

Establish an updated understanding of current and future coastal flood risk

Prioritize nature-based & hybrid solutions to reduce coastal flood risk and support local ecology and quality of life

Develop an actionable roadmap to resilience that includes site-specific strategies

Project Area

The project area for the Coastal Resilience Plan includes neighborhoods mostly south of I-95:

○ Cove, East Side, Shippan, South End, Waterside, and portions of Downtown and West Side

○ Areas of Stamford within Coastal Area Management zone

Understanding Coastal Flood Risk in Stamford

Types of Coastal Flooding

Coastal flood modeling by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) was used to map high-risk flood areas for presentday and future climate conditions.

HIGH TIDE FLOODING

occurs in low-lying coastal areas. This type of flooding occurs during normal high tides or extreme high tide events (e.g., king tides or spring high tides).

COASTAL STORM

FLOODING

occurs during coastal storms like hurricanes and Nor’easters. It includes the effects of storm surge and waves.

Compounded Risks

In low-lying coastal areas, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, and stormwater flooding can create compounding flood impacts. The Coastal Resilience Plan focuses on coastal flooding alone.

However, the City is also evaluating stormwater flooding in several areas of the City including the entire Cummings Pond watershed.

Compounded Risks

In low-lying coastal areas, coastal flooding, riverine flooding, and stormwater flooding can create compounding flood impacts. The Coastal Resilience Plan focuses on coastal flooding alone.

However, the City is also evaluating stormwater flooding in several areas of the City including the entire Cummings Pond watershed.

CUMMINGS POND CUMMINGS POND WATERSHED

The Cummings Pond Ecological and Flood Resilience Plan (forthcoming)

How Climate Change is Likely to Affect Coastal Flooding

In recent decades ocean warming and ice sheet loss due to global warming have contributed to global sea level rise. Along the East Coast, including Connecticut, sea level rise rates are more rapid because of subsidence or sinking of the coastline.

Sea level rise makes coastal flooding more frequent, deeper, farther-reaching, and more damaging.

● Higher storm surge

● More frequent tidal flooding

● Deeper floodwaters

● Reduced drainage capacity

● More shoreline erosion

CIRCA projects up to 20 inches of sea level rise by 2050 and up to 40 inches of sea level rise by 2100

Topography of the Stamford Coastline

Stamford has low-lying terrain, ranging from sea level to above 75 feet in areas like Shippan

Stamford’s South End and Cummings Park range in elevation from 1-9 feet, many areas susceptible to flooding

These low-lying areas are at risk of flooding today, even without the additional influence of sea level rise.

How We Describe Flood Events

Recurrence Interval: The average number of years, over the long term, between subsequent flood events of a given size or severity

Example: A 100-year flood event occurs on average once every 100 years.

% Annual Chance: the probability of a particular flood event or larger happening in any given year

% Annual Chance = 100/recurrence interval

Example: 100-year flood event = 100/100 = 1% Annual Chance

Percent Annual Chance is just a probability! It is possible for a given flood to occur multiple times in one year, in back-to-back years, or not at all for a period of years.

In this presentation, we will use Percent Annual Chance and Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP) interchangeably

You have a jar with 100 marbles – 99 clear and 1 red. There is a 1 in 100 (or 1%) chance of you reaching into your jar and pulling out the red marble.

Did you know there is a Hurricane Barrier here?

How the Hurricane Barrier Operates

EASTBRANCHSTAMFORD

HARBOREARTHFILLDIKE

ANDHURRICANE BARRIER

The Army Corps of Engineers owns, operates, and maintains the navigable gates of the Hurricane Barrier in the East Branch of Stamford Harbor

Present-Day Flood Extents

Hurricane Barrier Closed

20 Inches of Sea Level Rise

Roadmap for a More Resilient Stamford

What Can the City Do?

Making Stamford Safer

How the City can optimize emergency response immediately before and during a flood event

• Evacuation Routes

• Shippan Avenue Concept Design

• Flood Sensor Network

• Citywide Signage

Emergency Preparedness

Current Evacuation Zones & Proposed Routes

• N-S arterials from evacuation zones to/through I-95

• Avoid areas of high flood risk

• Ensure critical facilities are accessible

• Multiple parallel routes distributes volume

• Signals on routes optimized for northbound traffic

Legend

Emergency Preparedness

Proposed Evacuation Routes & Modeled Flooding

Shippan Avenue

Vulnerability Assessment

High water conditions → water from the harbor backs up into drainage pipes

Backflow combined with stormwater causes flooding in the Shippan Avenue and Magee Avenue intersection – a critical evacuation route

Legend

Shippan Avenue

Concept Design

Tide gates prevent harbor water from flowing back into storm drainage pipes

Bioretention basins and other types of Green Stormwater Infrastructure provide temporary storage for stormwater

Stormwater pumps can facilitate discharge of stormwater at a higher elevation

Proposed roundabout redesign to facilitate evacuation and improve safety

Legend

Shippan Avenue

Concept Design

Tide gates prevent harbor water from flowing back into storm drainage pipes

Storage needed for stormwater while tide gates are closed

Explore potential for subsurface stormwater storage below parking lots

Legend

Proposed tide gate

Potential area for subsurface stormwater storage

Shippan Avenue

Conceptual Section

Flood Sensor Network

Sensors can be installed:

● On dry land to detect flooding

● In water to track changes in tide and flood depths

How sensor data can be used

● Real time data can be viewed in a web-based dashboard

● Facilitates re-routing of busses and emergency response vehicles

● Activate flashing signs or mast arms

● Sensor data combined with weather data and modeling can forecast flooding ahead of storms

Three Tiers of Flood Awareness Signage

Permanent Evacuation

Route Signs

Dynamic Emergency Signage

Flood Awareness + Flood Gauge Monuments

Potential Signage Locations

Permanent Evacuation Route

Signs: continuously along routes

Dynamic Evacuation Signs:

Example locations: Major evacuation route junctures, underpasses, at most bridges, municipal parking garages, entrances to public open space, shelters

Flood Awareness + Flood Gauge Monuments:

Example locations: schools, libraries, transportation center, community center, public open spaces, near marinas and waterfront promenades

Legend

Reducing Flood Risks

• Hurricane Barrier Resilience

• Tide Gate System

• Future Planning and Policy

• Zoning Regulations

• Municipal Open Space Lowering flood damage using infrastructure and policy choices

Hurricane Barrier Resilience

Study

Recommendation: evaluate hurricane barrier’s ability to withstand current and future flood hazards

● Closure analysis

● Detailed modeling

● Gap assessment

East End of Hurricane Barrier

40 inches sea level rise scenario: flood waters go around the side of the hurricane barrier

Conceptual extension of hurricane barrier

Dyke Lane Pump Station

Pump station structure is part of the hurricane barrier

Recommendation:

confirm the structure has been maintained to structurally withstand storm surge

System of Tide Gates

Recommendations:

● Verify condition of 3 existing tide gates. Modify as needed to provide access.

● Install 5-10 additional tide gates in strategic locations

● Establish plan for routine maintenance

Future Planning and Policy Recommendations

● Coastal areas are at high risk for severe flood impacts, and those risks are likely to increase over time because of climate change

● The homes and structures in high-risk areas can be updated or renovated with flood resistant construction and/or elevated to reduce the risk to inhabitants and the structure

● Planning and policy updates are one way the City can help to reduce flood risk

The Role of Planning and Zoning

● The City has a responsibility to make sure that new construction or significant renovations meet basic standards for safety and the wellbeing of the community

● Accomplished in part through zoning codes and regulations, which were written before the impacts of climate change were fully understood

● Structurally, residential buildings have a design life of ~50 years, and the mean lifespan is 83 years

● Typical home mortgage 10-30 years, Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) repayment 15-20 years

Current Zoning Requirements

AREA OF MINIMAL FLOOD HAZARD Zone X

Triggered by new construction and significant renovation

Structure and building systems must be flood-resistant design

Elevation of 1 foot above base flood elevation (aka BFE) required in FEMA A, AE, and VE zones

FEMA maps and associated flood elevations are based on historic storm events - do not consider climate change

With sea level rise, more structures are at risk and flood elevations are likely to be higher than reflected by current requirements

These requirements are separate from flood insurance

FEMA flood maps are used as the basis for flood management requirements in the City’s zoning regulations

What can the City do?

Changes to Zoning Regulations

Near Term ZONING Changes:

● Keep current zoning requirements, increase design flood elevation from base flood elevation +1 to base flood elevation +3

● Increase allowable building height based on updated design flood elevation

Long Term ZONING Changes:

● Create new Coastal Resilience Overlay Zone based projected future flood risk

● Detailed modeling is needed to establish a future design flood elevation with location-specific anticipated future flood depths

● Overlay Zone to require flood-resistant design for structure and building systems as well as safe egress in flood conditions

What Can the City Do?

Long-Term Planning – Voluntary Buyouts

What is a voluntary buyout program?

● With significant public support, the City could create a program that gives homeowners in very high-risk areas the option of selling to local government or land trust

● Gives owners an option to protect their families from risk without sacrificing the equity they have in their properties

● Property converted to public open space and naturalized habitat, which helps absorb flood impacts and adds to the City’s park system

● Buyout programs typically funded through grant programs (FEMA, NRCS, and others) and local cost-share

Strategies for Municipal Open Space

Draft Recommendations:

● Toolbox of potential adaptation actions will be included for living with the water and moving assets away from the water.

● Examples of how these “tools” work at a site-specific scale will be addressed in the forthcoming Cummings Pond Ecological and Flood Resilience Plan.

Open Space

Municipal Open Space

Move Assets Away From the Water

Elevated Embankment

Elevate Structures

Elevate Access Routes

Elevated Promenade

Relocate Facilities

What Can the City Do?

Summary of Actions

Making Stamford Safer

Formalize evacuation routes

Drainage and traffic improvements at the Shippan and Magee intersection

Flood sensor network

Flood awareness signage

Flood Risk Reduction

Hurricane barrier resilience measures

Tide gates

Planning and policy updates

Flood resilience upgrades in critical facilities and municipal open space

Roadmap for a More Resilient Stamford

What Can Residents and Property Owners Do?

Adaptation Strategies For

Private Property Owners

This presentation includes a high-level overview of strategies including:

● Wet floodproofing

● Dry floodproofing

▪ Permanent

▪ Temporary

● Elevating

● Relocating Resources for more detailed guidance: FEMA guide, “Protect Your Property From Flooding” Stamford’s Environmental Protection Board

Garrison Flood Control

Source: overhead-doors.com Source: Christian Abraham, CTInsider

Wet vs. Dry Floodproofing

Dry Floodproofing

Flood Shields

Source:

Perimeter Wall

Wet Floodproofing

Elevated Home

Source: CT Insider

Source: Square One

Next Steps

Discussion

Thoughts? Questions? We want to hear from you! Raise your hand or type your questions in the Q&A.

Email coastalfloodplan@stamfordct.gov