Washout: Our Vanishing Beaches

Last winter’s severe storms took a heavy toll on Rhode Island beaches. The damage is another warning sign of the climate-related shoreline challenges facing the region. In this continuing series, The Public’s Radio reports on the damage’s impact

Share
Washout: Our Vanishing Beaches
Copy

Last winter’s severe storms took a heavy toll on Rhode Island’s beaches. The damage is another warning sign of the climate-related shoreline challenges facing the region. In this continuing series, The Public’s Radio reports on the damage’s impact.

The summer beach season is here, but the beaches themselves look very different this year. Coastal communities are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair shoreline damage from last winter’s severe storms. The damage is a warning sign to Rhode Island of the tough road ahead as climate-related sea levels rise and increasingly heavy storms continue to swallow up the beaches.

by Alex Nunes

Kathie Florsheim wants you to understand just what’s happening to our eroding coastline. She’s not a scientist. She’s a fine art photographer who has been photographing beaches in the region for about 50 years.

by Alex Nunes

As structures like the carousel and snack bar building are being demolished at Easton’s Beach, city officials are grappling with how to save an eroding beach.

by Olivia Ebertz

Beach erosion and extreme flooding are forcing South Coast officials to think more urgently about how to adapt to a rise in sea levels. New Bedford Light reporter Adam Goldstein joins Morning Edition host Luis Hernandez to discuss the many options under consideration.

by Luis Hernandez

These stories were reported by The Public’s Radio. You can read more stories here.

This week on Possibly we explain why the paper that receipts are printed on can add a lot of complications, for recycling, and for your health too
A beloved historic sign, saved from the scrap heap, faces a steep financial road back to the city skyline
Senate leaders are weighing whether to seek a Rhode Island Supreme Court advisory opinion before advancing the retroactive measure
Students and professors at the Rhode Island School of Design are divided over whether artificial intelligence is a creative tool, a threat to artists or both
A new phase looms in the primary for RI governor

DEM crews are conducting prescribed burns across the state as hotter, drier conditions increase wildfire risk in New England