A low pressure system to the east, stiff winds out of the north, and a new moon high tide all converged on January 2 to create flooding conditions at the Stone Wharf on Chebeague Island. This, according to Water Reporter and career meteorologist, Bill Danielson.
“I’m not quite a tornado watcher, but I’m the next thing to it I guess,” says Bill. “When exciting situations like high tides or storms occur, I look around to see what’s happening.”
Bill’s Water Reporter post shows high tide in Casco Bay lapping over the edges of Chebeague’s Stone Wharf, where passengers seeking to catch the Islander ferry must pass through a shallow puddle before boarding. Flooding events have become common at the wharf, leaving island residents to grapple with the need to raise the wharf in the face of rising sea levels.
When Bill witnesses flooding events like this one, they confirm his deep concerns regarding climate change and coastal communities. “That day was a good example of what it is going to be like on many more days in the future,” says Bill. His statement is backed up by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in a recently published report, which predicts a “profound increase in the frequency of coastal flooding” over the next three decades.
As a lifelong Northeasterner with a passion for the environment, Bill says becoming a Water Reporter with Friends of Casco Bay seemed like the logical thing to do. He appreciates the Water Reporter reminders to get out and photograph the ways the coast is changing. These photographs help us at Friends of Casco Bay to keep an eye on all corners of the coastal waters we call home, and to advocate for solutions to protect their health.
Thank you, Bill, for being a Water Reporter and for caring about Casco Bay.
