Oregon Sea Grant

Oregon Climate Assessment: Coastal Hazards

The Oregon Legislative Assembly charges the Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (OCCRI) with biennial assessment of the state of climate change science, including biological, physical, and social science, as it relates to Oregon and the likely effects of climate change on the state. The Oregon Climate Assessments reflect the generous contributions and expertise of OCCRI’s extensive network of university, public, and private partners. Content is peer-reviewed, and often serves as technical input to the quadrennial National Climate Assessments.

This chapter is about hazards on the Oregon coast. The changing climate will continue to affect hazards along the coast and estuarine shorelines of Oregon, with social and economic effects on coastal communities. Property owners, businesses, and local governments will need to respond to these hazards and impacts while evaluating trade-offs between public and private interests. This document looks at recent assessments, analyses and reports have documented increasing rates of sea-level rise and erosion along Oregon’s coasts, and measures are being implemented or considered to adapt to these changes.

Authors: Felicia Olmeta Schult, Peter Ruggiero, Meredith Leung, and Mohsen Taherkhani