Shoreline Task Force Seeking Testimony On Impact Of Storms, Sea Level Rise

Storm impacts are felt beyond the coastline. Communities like Montville, for example, are not immune to flooding.

The Shoreline Preservation Task Force, a group studying the impact of storms and rising sea levels on the Connecticut shoreline, will hold its last public hearing Monday in Groton.

The hearing is scheduled at 6 p.m. in Room 308 of the Academic Center on the University of Connecticut-Avery Point campus on Shennecossett Road.

The task force, led by State Rep. James Albis (D-East Haven) is studying the impact of storms to recommend a series of steps state and local officials can take. The recommendations would be made during the next legislative session.

“We felt we needed to address and see what we could do to reduce and mitigate some of the threats to coastal flooding,” State Rep. Elissa Wright, (D-Groton) said Friday. Major roads and water treatment facilities are often located in coastal areas and would be at risk as sea levels rise, she said.

“It’s not just Long Island Sound and the coast line, it’s also the rivers and streams that drain into that whole system,” she said.

In a prepared statement, Albis said the task force is urging residents to attend the hearing and share their stories.

"This is our third local public hearing that will allow the task force to hear from residents about how rising sea levels and extreme storms events are actually affecting their property and their community’s shoreline and beaches,” he said.