April 2022
FACT SHEET
South Atlantic Coastal Study
Investigations (I)
Congressional Districts: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13,
14, 15, 16, 17,18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27
1. DESCRIPTION
Section 1204 of WRDA 2016 authorizes the Secretary to conduct a comprehensive coastal study within the geographic boundaries of the South Atlantic Division (SAD) to identify the risks and vulnerabilities of those areas to increased hurricane and storm damage as a result of sea level rise; recommend measures to address the vulnerabilities; develop a long-term strategy addressing increased hurricane and storm damages that result from rising sea levels; and identify opportunities to enhance resiliency, increase sustainability, and lower risks in populated areas, areas of concentrated economic development, and areas with vulnerable environmental resources. The South Atlantic Coastal Study (SACS) is a response to this authorization. The study area includes the tidally-influenced coastal areas of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to regional analyses of coastal vulnerability, the SACS will identify initial measures/costs that can address vulnerabilities with emphasis on regional sediment management as an actionable strategy to sustainably maintain or enhance current levels of storm protection.
2. FUNDING
a. P.L. 115-123: Bi-Partisan Budget Act of 2018, Supplemental:
| Current Working Estimate |
$18,400,000 |
| Allocation thru FY21 |
$15,460,000 |
| Allocation for FY22 |
$2,000,000 |
3. SPONSOR
100% Federal Cost
4. STATUS
The SACS was initiated in August 2018 by a regional Project Delivery Team (PDT) comprised of members from all five districts across the USACE South Atlantic Division. Regional products finalized to date include the ‘Tier 1’ regional risk assessment, Regional Sediment Management Optimization Report, and the Sand Availability and Needs Determination. Regional products completed in draft include the Environmental Vulnerability and At-Risk Resources Report; Identification of Priority Environmental Areas; Measures and Cost Library; and Tier 2 Economic Risk Assessment. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) will complete the final statistical runs for the Coastal Hazards System database that will be used in refining hazards associated with wave and water elevations by both federal and non-federal partners. Final statistics will be made available for external stakeholder application in April 2021 for the Puerto Rico and USVI basin, June 2021 for the South Atlantic basin, and August 2021 for the Gulf of Mexico Basins. All eight (8) State and Territory appendices (including 21 Focus Area Action Strategies (FAAS)) have been completed in rough draft by the district project delivery teams and are being integrated into Main Report development in anticipation of upcoming report reviews. Agency and stakeholder coordination on the FAAS, Appendices, and regional products has been extensive via execution of over 60 interactive workshops, collaborative product rollout sessions, and quarterly external stakeholder webinars. The Project Delivery Team is preparing for the approval of the final report approval in August 2022.
