Both the recent recession and Hurricane Sandy hit Bridgeport residents hard. Those challenges have only added to the decades of economic decline that have left a staggering 40 percent of the city’s children living below the poverty line. Many low-income communities are in Bridgeport’s South End—close to the coast and vulnerable to flooding.
This profile is excerpted from the 2014 report, "Encroaching Tides: How Sea Level Rise and Tidal Flooding Threaten U.S. East and Gulf Coast Communities over the next 30 Years."
Encroaching Tides
While these communities sustained heavy damage from Hurricane Sandy’s storm surge, seasonal high tides also flood roads and basements regularly. By 2045, the city is projected to see more than 150 tidal floods a year, or 12 each month, on average
As part of Rebuild by Design—an initiative of the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force—designers and builders have been working with residents, neighborhood trusts, and other stakeholders to develop a citywide resilience framework that includes protecting the South End from future flooding. A core goal is to enable the city’s vulnerable communities to help shape the sea level rise solutions that they will ultimately live with.
Related resources
2024 Annual Report
Inside Multnomah County's Climate Lawsuit
A Path Forward
