SLR Exposure Area - 0.5 Ft. Scenario

This particular layer depicts SLR-XA using the 0.5-ft (0.1660-m) sea level rise scenario. While the RCP8.5 predicts that this scenario would be reached by the year 2030, questions remain around the exact timing of sea level rise and recent observations and projections suggest a sooner arrival. Assumptions and Limitations: The assumptions and limitations described for the three chronic flooding hazards apply to the SLR-XA.

Not all hazards were modeled for each island due to limited historical information and geospatial data. The SLR-XA for the islands of Hawaii, Molokai, and Lanai is based on modeling passive flooding only. Additional studies would be needed to add the annual high wave flooding and coastal erosion to the SLR-XA for those islands.

The SLR-XA is an overlay of three hazards and does not account for interactive nature of these hazards as would be expected by natural processes. As with the individual exposure models, the SLR-XA maps hazard exposure on the present landscape. The modeling does not account for future (unknown) land use changes, including any adaptation measures.

The SLR-XA also does not include impacts from less frequent high wave events (e.g., a 1-in-10 year event), storm surge, or tsunami. Data compiled by the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS) for the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Viewer hosted at pacioos.org/shoreline/slr-hawaii/ . For further information, please see the Hawaii Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and Adaptation Report: climateadaptation.hawaii.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SLR-Report_Dec2017.pdf .