Local and State Reports on Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Flooding


The State of Maryland and local governments have been actively assessing how coastal flooding will impact shorelines in coming years, and what types of policies would lessen long-term damage to built communities and the environment. Links to their reports, along with a variety of other resources, are located below.

State of Maryland
(August 2008). Global Warming and the Free State: Comprehensive Assessment of Climate Change Impacts in Maryland
Boesch, D.F. (Ed.). (2008). Global Warming and the Free State: Comprehensive Assessment of Climate Change Impacts in Maryland. Report of the Scientific and Technical Working Group of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD.
Maryland Commission on Climate Change. (2008). Maryland Climate Action Plan

Maryland Commission on Climate Change. (2008). Maryland Climate Action Plan.

(August 2008). Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change, Phase I: Sea level rise and coastal storms
Maryland Commission on Climate Change. (2008). Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change, Phase I: Sea Level Rise and Coastal Storms. Report of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change Adaptation and Response Working Group. Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis, MD; Maryland Department of the Environment, Baltimore, MD; Maryland Department of Planning, Baltimore, MD.

(January 2011). Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change, Phase II: Building societal, economic, and ecological resilience
Boicourt, K., & Johnson, Z. P. (Eds.). (2011). Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Maryland’s Vulnerability to Climate Change, Phase II: Building Societal, Economic, and Ecological Resilience. Report of the Maryland Commission on Climate Change, Adaptation and Response and Scientific and Technical Working Groups. University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, Cambridge, MD; Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Annapolis, MD.

City of Annapolis
(March 2011). Flood Mitigation Strategies for the City of Annapolis, MD: City Dock and Eastport Area
Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC. (2011). Flood Mitigation Strategies for the City of Annapolis, MD: City Dock and Eastport Area. City of Annapolis Department of Neighborhood and Environmental Programs, Annapolis, MD.

(March 2011). Flood and Inundation Mitigation Strategies, City of Annapolis, Maryland: Eastport Area
Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC. (2011). Flood and Inundation Mitigation Strategies, City of Annapolis, Maryland: Eastport Area. City of Annapolis Department of Neighborhood and Environmental Programs, Annapolis, MD.

October 2011). Regulatory Response to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Inundation, City of Annapolis, MD.
Environmental Resources Management, & Whitney, Bailey, Cox & Magnani, LLC. (2011). Regulatory Response to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Inundation, City of Annapolis, MD. City of Annapolis, Annapolis, MD.




Anne Arundel County
(September 2010). Sea Level Rise Strategic Plan Anne Arundel County. Phase 1 Report: Vulnerability Assessment.

Anne Arundel County. (2010). Sea Level Rise Strategic Plan Anne Arundel County. Phase 1 Report: Vulnerability Assessment. Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning, Annapolis, MD.

(November 2011). Sea Level Rise Strategic Plan Anne Arundel County
Anne Arundel County. (2011). Sea Level Rise Strategic Plan Anne Arundel County. Anne Arundel County Office of Planning and Zoning, Annapolis, MD.


Regional Sea-Level Rise
Boon, J.D., Brubaker, J.M., and Forrest, D. R. (2010). Chesapeake Bay Land Subsidence and Sea Level Change: An Evaluation of Past and Present Trends and Future Outlook. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA.
Boon, J.D., Brubaker, J.M., & Forrest, D. R. (2010). Chesapeake Bay Land Subsidence and Sea Level Change: An Evaluation of Past and Present Trends and Future Outlook. Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Gloucester Point, VA.

CCSP. (2009). Coastal sensitivity to sea-level rise: A focus on the mid-Atlantic region. A report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. [James G. Titus (Coordinating Lead Author), K. Eric Anderson, Donald R. Cahoon, Dean B. Gesch, Stephen K. Gill, Benjamin T. Gutierrez, E. Robert Thieler, and S. Jeffress Williams (Lead Authors)] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.
CCSP. (2009). Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-Level Rise: A Focus on the Mid-Atlantic Region. A report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research. [J. G. Titus (Coordinating Lead Author), K. E. Anderson, D. R. Cahoon, D. B. Gesch, S. K. Gill, B. T. Gutierrez, E. R. Thieler, and S. J. Williams (Lead Authors)] U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.



Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Bindoff, N.L., Willebrand, J., Artale, V., Cazenave, A., Gregory, J., Gulev, S., Hanawa, K., Le Quéré, C., Levitus, S., Nojiri, Y., Shum, C. K., Talley L. D., & Unnikrishnan, A. (2007). Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level. In: Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge and New York.

Bindoff, N. L., Willebrand, J., Artale, V. Cazenave, A., Gregory, J., Gulev, S., Hanawa, K., Le Quéré, C., Levitus, S., Nojiri, Y., Shum, C. K., Talley, L.D., & Unnikrishnan, A. (2007). Observations: Oceanic Climate Change and Sea Level. In S. Solomon, D. Qin, M. Manning, Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. Tignor & H.L. Miller (Eds.), Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Response Strategies Working Group. (1990). Strategies for adaptation to sea level rise.


Dronkers, J., Gilbert, J. T. E., Butler, L. W., Carey, J. J., Campbell, J., James, E., McKenzie, C., Misdorp, R., Quin, N., Ries, K. L., Schroder, P. C., Spradley, J. R., Titus, J. G., Vallianos, L., & von Dadelszen, J. (1990). Strategies for Adaptation to Sea Level Rise. Report of the IPCC Coastal Zone Management Subgroup: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Geneva.



Local Government Policy Tools
Grannis, J. (2011). Adaptation tool kit: Sea-level rise and coastal land use. Georgetown Climate Center , Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
Grannis, J. (2011). Adaptation Tool Kit: Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Land Use. Georgetown Climate Center, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.


Nuckols, W.H., P. Johnston, D. Hudgens, and J.G. Titus. 2010. “Maryland.” In James G. Titus and Daniel Hudgens (editors). The Likelihood of Shore Protection along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Volume 1: Mid-Atlantic. Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, D.C.



Nuckols, W. H., P. Johnston, D. Hudgens, & J. G. Titus. (2010). Maryland. In James G. Titus and Daniel Hudgens (editors). The Likelihood of Shore Protection along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Volume 1: Mid-Atlantic. Report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Washington, DC.

Titus, J. G. (2010). Rolling Easements. Climate Ready Estuaries Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Titus, J. G. (2010). Rolling Easements. Climate Ready Estuaries Program. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.




Coastal Wetlands and Habitats
Glick, P., Clough, J., & Nunley, B. (2008). Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Chesapeake Bay Region: Technical Report. National Wildlife Foundation, Reston, VA.


Glick, P., Clough, J., and Nunley, B. (2008). Sea-Level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Chesapeake Bay Region: Technical Report. National Wildlife Foundation, Reston, VA.