Storm-weary homeowners along the shoreline are figuring out ways to protect themselves and their property as experts warn the threat from the water will likely grow in the future.
Residents who live along the Long Island Sound know the danger that lurks just outside their homes and they packed a room at Milford City Hall on Thursday.
“We just want to make sure that we’re safe and preserve the area,” Sharon Joslin, of Milford, said.
Experts waded through research, which shows rising risks of higher sea levels, flooding, storm surges and erosion in the future.
It was little comfort to those who’ve already been through devastating events.
“During Sandy, our basements were all flooded. I had to throw away half of my personal items,” Marty Lippman, of Milford, said.
Around 2,000 homes in Milford were affected by Superstorm Sandy.
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Following that storm, several towns, including Milford, received money to help figure out a way to make the community more resilient.
The study, which is underway now, will look at ways to make homes, utilities and the shore itself less vulnerable.
“We are blessed to have 17-and-a-half miles of coastline. It’s one of our greatest resources, but at the same time, it’s our greatest vulnerability,” Mayor Benjamin Blake, D-Milford, said.
A draft of the plan will be presented in late March.
The federal government is paying the $150,000 cost for the study, which also includes Branford and Madison.
