Prepared for seawater rise

   Global climate change talks recently concluded in Paris, with leaders trying to get agreement on voluntary commitments for nations to reduce carbon levels from human activity.

   With the atmosphere warming, sea ice is melting at alarming rates and the world’s oceans are expected to gradually rise.

   Executive Director Curtis Foltz said in an interview several months ago that the Georgia Ports Authority has looked into the potential impact on the ports of Savannah and Brunswick.

   “We got very detailed engineering studies on sea-level rise and looked at it on a 100-year horizon… And all the studies have come back and said our terminals are safe in terms of being high enough where they’ll be above the high-water mark, long term, including during storms. But there are areas around the ports—certain road access points that will be in jeopardy and areas where there might be distribution centers that potentially could be in jeopardy.

   “So we’re working with the state and various constituents out there to at least let them know that in this time frame—whether 50 years out, 75 years out, a 100 years out—these areas could be compromised by seawater rise. We’re trying to make sure everyone is aware of what they may have to deal with half a century from now,” Foltz said.