Coastal flooding in Hampton Roads

HAMPTON ROADS.

NEW RESEARCHSHOWS JUST HOW VULNERABLE WEARE.

IT SHOWS A "WOBBLE" INTHE MOON'S ORBIT IS ABOUT TOHAVE A BIG IMPACT ON HOW HIGHOUR FLOOD WATERS RISE.

AND ASWE ALL KNOW FROM LIVING HERE-- IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TOMAKE A HUGE MESS..TRT = 2:11 OUTCUE = "...TIDESUP PRETTY HIGH." VERBATIM: IFTHERE'S ONE THING THAT IMPACTSOUR DAILY LIVES IN HAMPTONROADS, ABOVE ALL ELSE, IT'SWATER.

-NATS- ESPECIALLY WHENETHRE'S TOO MUCH OF IT.

5:13JEFF ORROCK/METEOROLOGIST,NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICEWAKEFIELD: "IN OUR REGION,THERE'S A VERY, VERY FINE LINEBETWEEN WHAT IS NUINCSAEFLOODING, AND WHAT REALLYSTARTS TO IMPACT US IN OURDAILY LIVES." IT'S JEFFORROCK'S JOB TO KEEP A CLOSEEYE ON THAT FINE LINE.

HE'STHE METEOROLOGIST IN CHARGE ATTHE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'SWAKEFIELD OFFICE.

OVER THEEAYRS, HE'S TRACKED THE SLOWBUT STEADY RISE OF OUR SEALEVEL, AND THE DEVASTATINGIMPACT IT CAN HAVE.

9:31ORROCK: THE CREEISP SOMETIMESNOT AS NOTICEABLE, BUT THENALL OF A SUDDEN A STORM HITSAND YOU'RE LIKE, WOW, YOU MEANTHAT WAS THAT WAS A LOTF OWATER." WHICH IS WHY HE ISTAKING NOTICE OF RESEARCH THATWARNS UPCOMING CHANGES TO HETMOON'S ORBIT COULD LEAD TORECORD FLOODING ON EARTH INTHE NEXT DECADE.

BENHAMLINGTON IS ONE OF THESCIENTISTST ANASA WHO WORKEDON THE STUDY.

HE'S ALSO AFORMER ASSISTANT PROFESSOR ATNORFOLK'S OLD DOMINIONUNIVERSITY.

6:22 BENHAMLINGTON/RESEARCH SCIENTIST,NASA JET PROPULSION LAB:"FLOODING IS CERTAINLYSOMETHING THAT PEOPLE INNORFOLK LIVE WITH ANDUNDERSTAND AND IT HAPPENS.

BUTI THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOCONSIDER THAT IT'S NOT GOGINTO NECESSARILY BE A GRADUALINCREASE." BLAINE STEWART:"HERE IN THE HEART OF NORFOLK,ALONG THE HAGUE, THE WATER,EVEN WITH A SUNNY DAY FLOOD,CAN BE ENOUGH TO CLOSE ROADS,BLOCK ACCESS TO THIS APARTMENTBUILDING.

IT' SSOMETHINGPEOPLE HAVE LEARNED TO LIVEWITH.

BUT HOW MUCH LONGER CANTHEY?" 6:37 <HAMLINGTON: "IT'SPOSSIBLE WE'RE GOING TO HAVETHESE PERIODS OF VERY RAPIDINCREASES WHERE YOU GO FROMHAVING IT A FEW TIMES A YEARTOO MANY TIMES 100 TIMES AYEAR AT HIGH TIDE, SO IT JUSTBECOMES THAT MUCH MOREDIFFICULT TO LIVE WITH." WHATCONCERNS METEOROLOGISTS LIKEJEFF ORROCK ABOUT OUR FUTURE,IS OUR RECENT PAST.

THE LASTTIME HAMPTON ROADS SAW AMAJOR, DAYS-LONG TIDALFLOODING EVENT, WAS DURING THE2009 NOR'EASTER, WHEN FLOODEDOUT CARS FLOATED IN WAIST-DEEPWATER DOWN BOUSH STREET.ORROCK BELIEVES WE WILL SEEIMAGES LIKE THESE AGAIN.

IT'SONLY A MATTER OF TIME.

12:20ORROCK: "WE REALLY ARE GETTINGTO THE POINT WHERESTATISTICALLY; WE'RE GETTING ALITTLE BIT OVERDUE FOR ANOTHERBIG STORM TO REALLY PUSH THESETIDES UP PRETTY HIGH." ###SO.

WE HEAR THIS, AND THINKO-K, WHAT DO WE DO, HOW DO WEFIGHT THIS?

WELL, THERE ISWORK ALREADY UNDER WAY TO MAKESOME OF OUR CITIES MORE FLOODRESISTANT.THE CITY OF NORFOLK IS HALF-WAY THROUGH A PROJECT THATWILL DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THECHESTERFIELD HEIGHTSNEIGHBORHOOD -- HELPING TOKEEP THE ELIZABETH RIVER OUTOF STREETS AND HOMES.

COMINGUP TONIGHT ON NEWS 3 AT 6 --STOPPING THE STUGE.

I'LL SHOWYOU WHAT MAKES THIS PROJECTUNIQUE -- AND WHY IT COULD BETHE BLUEPRINT FOR KEEPING BIGCHUNKS OF OUR AREA DRY AND OUTOF TROUBLE.