Welcome to the Town of Groton, Connecticut

Understanding Risk

In order to become more resilient, we need to understand the hazards we are facing and the risks they pose. Several types of hazards associated with climate change are described below, with tools provided to help you learn more.

  • Flooding – The Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) projects that we will experience 20 inches of sea level rise by 2050. Check out CIRCA’s Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Viewer to see the areas likely to be impacted by sea level rise and the combined effect of sea level rise and storms. It is also important to know that coastal areas are not the only areas at risk of flooding.  Climate change is causing storms to be larger and more intense. These storms can overwhelm stormwater drainage systems and cause streams and rivers to breach their banks. You can use the First Street Foundation’s Risk Factor tool to learn about your home’s flood risk.
  • Heat – New London County typically had 4 days per year with a maximum temperature exceeding 90 degrees F. By the 2050s, we may experience 15 to 21 days with that level of heat. Heat.gov has resources to help you understand heat projections and who is at risk.
  • Drought – Groton is very fortunate to have an extensive reservoir system, the large capacity of which provides resilience against drought. However, drinking water security is only one consideration when planning for drought impacts. Droughts strain our natural resources and agricultural operations. Plants and trees become stressed, which degrades habitat quality and can make natural areas more susceptible to the establishment of invasive species. When rainfall does occur after a drought, the parched soils cannot quickly absorb the precipitation, which can lead to flooding and lack of groundwater recharge.

The online Climate Explorer tool can help you learn more about these hazards and others and how they will change over time.

It is also important to understand who is at risk to each hazard and how vulnerability to those risks may vary. Tools like the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool and the Social Vulnerability Index Interactive Map can help you learn more about Groton’s communities.