Sea Level Rise and Residential Area Inundation on the Washington Coast
Faculty Mentor
E.D. Dascher
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Urban and Regional Planning
Abstract
Sea-level rise poses an increasing threat to coastal communities through inundation, shoreline erosion, and damage to critical infrastructure. Identifying areas of potential exposure and assessing their relative risk is an essential step in climate change adaptation and land-use planning. This study evaluates elevation-based inundation scenarios for coastal residential areas in Washington State in order to inform future planning and risk mitigation strategies. Using 10-meter Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), projected sea-level rise estimates, and residential land-use data, this analysis assesses the physical exposure of residential-zoned land in 17 coastal Washington counties. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects median sea-level rises of 6, 12, and 18 inches in the pacific northwest on a 30, 50, and 70-year time horizon. The total area of inundated residential area was calculated, and average national housing density estimates were used to calculate the total number of acres, housing units at risk. of inundation. This analysis only considers elevation-based inundations and does not account for storm surge, tidal variability, land subsidence, or demographic vulnerability. The results suggest that even a relatively modest increase in sea-level could inundate currently inhabited residential land in Washington’s coastal counties. These findings highlight the importance of integrating sea-level rise projections into land-use planning, zoning decisions, and infrastructure policy to support proactive adaptation strategies and improve long-term resilience in coastal communities.
Recommended Citation
Nelson, Kari, "Sea Level Rise and Residential Area Inundation on the Washington Coast" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 46.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/46
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Sea Level Rise and Residential Area Inundation on the Washington Coast
PUB NCR
Sea-level rise poses an increasing threat to coastal communities through inundation, shoreline erosion, and damage to critical infrastructure. Identifying areas of potential exposure and assessing their relative risk is an essential step in climate change adaptation and land-use planning. This study evaluates elevation-based inundation scenarios for coastal residential areas in Washington State in order to inform future planning and risk mitigation strategies. Using 10-meter Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), projected sea-level rise estimates, and residential land-use data, this analysis assesses the physical exposure of residential-zoned land in 17 coastal Washington counties. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) projects median sea-level rises of 6, 12, and 18 inches in the pacific northwest on a 30, 50, and 70-year time horizon. The total area of inundated residential area was calculated, and average national housing density estimates were used to calculate the total number of acres, housing units at risk. of inundation. This analysis only considers elevation-based inundations and does not account for storm surge, tidal variability, land subsidence, or demographic vulnerability. The results suggest that even a relatively modest increase in sea-level could inundate currently inhabited residential land in Washington’s coastal counties. These findings highlight the importance of integrating sea-level rise projections into land-use planning, zoning decisions, and infrastructure policy to support proactive adaptation strategies and improve long-term resilience in coastal communities.
