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Study presented to General Assembly looks at Virginia flooding

Posted at 9:36 PM, Jan 15, 2013
and last updated 2013-01-15 23:29:23-05

The General Assembly has been presented a report that looks at the issue of flooding in coastal Virginia.

The report "Recurrent Flooding Study for Tidewater Virginia" was requested by the Virginia General Assembly during its 2012 session. 

Researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science led the effort to develop the report that looks at the issues that cause flooding and the steps that can be taken to address it.

Study author Molly Mitchell says it's clear the flooding issue is not one that has developed overnight.

"We have issues right now that need dealing with. There are people who move their cars on every high tide," Mitchell said.

VIMS Center for Coastal Resources Management Director Carl Hershner agrees.

"It's not like these issues have magically, suddenly appeared, but they are becoming more and more frequent, so the response and the needed response is more and more evident," Hershner explained.

The report says no one simple answer exists for addressing flooding concerns, instead a multi-faceted approach is required that includes management, protective measures and policy changes.

You can read the entire 135 page report presented to the General Assembly by clicking here.