2021’s Atlantic hurricane season came to an official close at the end of November as the third-most active season on record, producing 21 named storms. While Hampton Roads wasn’t directly hit by any 2021 hurricanes, it has been in the past and likely will be again in the future. As sea levels continue to rise, sunny-day flooding becomes more frequent, and rainfall events become more severe, the economic impacts of water ending up where it’s not wanted will become more apparent.
Figures 1 and 2: Percent of total Virginia NFIP flood loss claims (both total dollar amounts and number of claims) in Hampton Roads. Source: FEMA, HRPDC.
Note: These charts only include claims where dollar amounts paid were reported.
Over the summer, staff of the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO), in collaboration with rural area stakeholders, began work on the 2045 Rural Long-Range Transportation Plan (RLRTP), a transportation vision plan for the City of Franklin and Southampton County. The RLRTP is part of an ongoing statewide effort to create and maintain regional transportation plans in rural areas that complement those in Virginia’s metropolitan and small urban areas.
Offshore wind energy is a rapidly growing global industry that creates electricity from large wind turbines installed in coastal waters. In the U.S., the federal government has established a target to deploy 30,000 megawatts of offshore wind by 2030. There are now more than a dozen projects in advanced stages of planning along the East Coast. The Commonwealth of Virginia has authorized 5,200 megawatts of offshore wind generation as part of the Virginia Clean Economy Act.
Suffolk has completed two significant segments of the Seaboard Coastline Trail, a 10’ wide paved multi-use trail that will run from downtown Suffolk to the Chesapeake city line using the former Seaboard Coastline Railroad right-of-way.
Each month, HRTPO staff will highlight a project that is currently being implemented within the Hampton Roads region. This month the project is the Richmond Road Multi-Use Trail located in James City County. It is a bicycle and pedestrian project which will provide a sidewalk and bike lane on Richmond Road (Route 60) from Croaker Road to Old Church Road.
To mark its 10th year of educating Hampton Roads residents about all things green, askHRgreen.org is accepting nominations for its Green Star Teachers educator recognition program.
The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) and Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO) fully comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987, Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice, and related nondiscrimination statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. HRPDC's website, www.hrpdcva.gov, and HRTPO's website, www.hrtpo.org, may be translated into multiple languages. Publications and other public documents can be made available in alternative languages and formats, if requested. HRPDC public meetings are always held in ADA-accessible facilities and in transit-accessible locations when possible. Auxiliary services can be provided to individuals who submit a request at least seven days prior to a meeting. Requests made within seven days will be accommodated to the greatest extent possible. Any person who believes they have been aggrieved by an unlawful discriminatory practice by HRPDC under Title VI has a right to file a formal complaint. Any such complaint may be in writing and filed with the HRPDC and/or the appropriate state or federal agency within 180 days of the alleged discriminatory occurrence. For more information on HRPDC's Title VI program, or to obtain a Title VI Complaint Form, please call (757) 420-8300 or email:rcrum@hrpdcva.gov
