Community Corner
Researchers Seeking Residents' Input for Coastal Flooding Study
If you've received a random email about a survey during the last two weeks, it could be for a local research study addressing coastal flooding.
Have you recently received something in the mail asking you to participate in a survey?
If yes, it’s possible you were one of 10,000 Anne Arundel County residents selected to get involved in a citizen-centered study to address coastal flooding and rising sea levels.
The group conducting the study is called “the Future Coast initiative” and they’ve gathered a team of researchers from George Mason University, the U.S. Naval Academy and Center for the Study of Local Issues at Anne Arundel Community College. For the past week and a half, researchers have sought local residents’ opinions on policy and coastal flooding.
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Residents in the Edgewater, Davidsonville area might have stronger opinions than most due to their proximity to large bodies of water such as the South River.
“By mailing a random sample of addresses within the county, project organizers hope to attract a representative group of residents to attend the interactive session and complete the accompanying survey,” according to a release by the Future Coast initiative. “Attendees of the daylong session on April 28 will receive a $50 Visa gift card as a thank you.”
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The research culminates with a day-long event on April 28 in Severna Park where citizens will engage in policy conversations and small group discussion. They’ll also get to see a new online visualization tool that maps local spots impacted by coastal flooding, according to the release.
“In attending the event, residents will have an opportunity to discuss with fellow community members their perceptions of coastal flooding now and in the future and what local governments might do in the long-term to address it,” according to the release.
The Future Coast initiative said science and policy experts will attend the meeting in Severna Park to answer civilian questions. The research team’s findings will be shared with officials in June.
If you’re interested in participating in the survey and attending the April 28 event, contact the project manager at kakerlof@gmu.edu.
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