June 10, 2022 – Thousands of beachgoers visit Tybee Island each year to take in the scenic views of Georgia’s barrier islands. What they may not notice is the environmental engineering and planning all around them aimed at protecting Tybee Island from storms and a rising sea level.
This year is slated to be another above-normal year for hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, but for places like Tybee Island, struggling with flooding, erosion, and sea-level rise, planning goes far beyond emergency management. Tybee Island received a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to assess flood risks and potential adaptation solutions for the island’s low-lying marsh shoreline. Using this funding, Tybee Island officials and a multidisciplinary team from the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant are working to prepare Tybee for the impacts of flooding, erosion, and larger storms as they come