May 2024
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, 28
1. DESCRIPTION
Section 1204 of Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) 2016 authorized 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 for 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) was a response to this authorization. The study area included 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 identified 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 |
$16,740,000 |
| Allocation thru FY23 |
$16,740,000 |
| Allocation for FY24 |
$0 |
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 include the ‘tier 1’ Regional Risk Assessment, Regional Sediment Management Optimization Report, Measures and Cost Library, and tier 2 Economic Risk Assessment. The Coastal Hazards System database used in refining hazards associated with wave and water elevations for the three basins within the AOR is complete and hosted by ERDC. The Final Report was approved in August 2022 and the Main Report and all eight (8) State and Territory appendices (including 21 Focus Area Action Strategies (FAAS)) have been posted to our SACS webpage.
