University of Connecticut University of UC Title Fallback Connecticut

CREST Project Living Shorelines Critical Infrastructure Inland Flooding Coastal Flooding Sea Level Rise Policy & Planning

About CIRCA

The mission of the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) is to increase the resilience and sustainability of vulnerable communities along Connecticut’s coast and inland waterways to the growing impacts of climate change on the natural, built, and human environment. Read More...

Living Shorelines

Living Shorelines
Preserving the natural elements of the shore while also providing protection from erosion.

Critical Infrastructure

Critical Infrastructure
Connecting firm science with the decision-making needs of state and local leaders.

Inland Flooding

Inland Flooding
Projecting changing precipitation patterns and future inland flooding in riverine communities.

Coastal Flooding

Coastal Flooding & Waves
Mapping coastal flooding from waves, storm surge and high tide.

Policy and Planning

Policy & Planning
Community climate adaptation policy and planning through research and analysis.

Sea Level Rise

Sea Level Rise
Providing future sea level rise scenarios for Connecticut's coastline.

Featured Projects & Products

Dune restoration in Milford, CT sponsored by the CIRCA Municipal Resilience Grant Program. Photo: Steve Johnson

CIRCA Grant Programs

Municipal Resilience Grant Program

Learn more about the 18 projects awarded to Connecticut's municipalities and regional council of governments to move our state from planning to implementation of climate adaptation strategies.

Matching Funds Grant Program

Learn more about the 9 matching funds grants awarded to Connecticut organizations, municipalities and researchers to leverage external funding programs to advance resilience in the state.

Research Grants

Learn more about all of CIRCA's Research projects and products.

Sea Level Rise Projections for Connecticut

As of March 27, 2018, CIRCA released the full Draft Report, Sea Level Rise in Connecticut, that informed the local sea level rise projections and planning recommendations released on October 19, 2017. View and Download the Draft Report.

Sea level rise is a well-established impact of a warming planet due to expanding warming oceans and melting ice currently trapped on land. In 2012 NOAA released global sea level rise scenarios that were referenced in Connecticut state statute requiring that sea level rise be considered in state and local plans of conservation and development and natural hazard mitigation plans. That same statute charged UConn CIRCA with updating the scenarios to be local for the state of Connecticut. On October 19, 2017 CIRCA released the local sea level rise scenarios in a public meeting. Based on the scenarios CIRCA recommends that Connecticut plan for the upper end of the range of values projected of sea level rise or up to 20 inches (50cm) of sea level rise higher than the national tidal datum in Long Island Sound by 2050 and that it is likely that sea level will continue to rise after that date. The Institute also recommended that the scenarios be updated at least every 10 years to incorporate the best available science and new observations. The public meeting also included a presentation on policy and planning recommendations on how to incorporate sea level rise into state and municipal planning ordinances and floodplain management.

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News & Announcements

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Resilience Roundup and CIRCA Announcements

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The Resilience Roundup is a biweekly e-newsletter including local, state, and national news clips on resilience and adaptation as well as resources , events, and funding announcements. The CIRCA Announcements list will send you notices of the latest CIRCA research, tools, grants, and engagement opportunities.