Gulf Coast organizations address flood risks in Ocean Springs community

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (WLOX) - Ocean Springs residents met on Monday to discuss ways to prevent what could become a larger issue in their community, flooding.

A local organization hosted Community RISE, meaning Resilience in Sea-Level Rise Education

Concerned citizens gathered in Ocean Springs to discuss the growing issue of flooding risks in their community.

PLACE-SLR hosted Community Connection Dialogue. It’s designed to start conversations about the impact of rising sea levels.

“We have different representatives for different groups here. Information on insurance, information on the city of Ocean Springs here. Then we have information about future flood maps to see on an individual level what some of these future flood scenarios look like for different communities,” said Andrew Medhurst, Resilience Coordinator.

Medhurst said representatives, city leaders, and municipal officials lined the room to answer those questions from participants.

“It shows our models of what we think actual storm surge and high-tide flooding will look like into the future with sea-level rise,” said Ali Rellinger, deputy director of PLACE-SLR.

Rellinger explained how storm trends can further the issue.

“So we know that we’re getting more extreme rainfall events, sea-level rise and all these different compound floodings coming at all directions at us. We’re trying to get ahead of what that might look like as we go in the future and what we can do to mitigate,” Rellinger said.

A presentation also listed helpful tips to be proactive against flooding.

Medhurst encouraged the public to do their part and learn how to protect their homes and the Gulf Coast.

“I think a lot of times, people think one raindrop does not equal a flood, but it also works in reverse. One person doing a good deed like that may not make a big impact on its own, but everyone collectively doing small things like that can make a significant difference,” Medhurst said.

The next Community RISE meeting will take place for Biloxi residents.

More details will be announced at a later date.

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