Virginia

Global climate change poses risks to human health and to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Important economic resources such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and water resources also may be affected. Warmer temperatures, more severe droughts and floods, and sea level rise could have a wide range of impacts. All these stresses can add to existing stresses on resources caused by other influences such as population growth, land-use changes, and pollution.

Climate Change in Virginia

Below are some of the potential impacts:

• Over the last century, the average temperature near Richmond, Virginia, has increased 0.2°F, and precipitation has increased by up to 10% in many parts of the state.
• By 2100 temperatures in Virginia could increase by 3°F in winter, spring, and summer (with a range of 1-6°F) and 4°F in fall (with a reange of 2-8°F). Precipitation is estimated to increase by 20% in all seasons (with a range of 10-30%).
• The frequency of extreme hot days in summer would increase because of the general warming trend. Although it is not clear how the severity of storms such as hurricanes might be affected, an increase in the frequency and intensity of winter storms is possible.
• Higher temperatures and increased frequency of heat waves may increase the number of heat-related deaths and the incidence of heat-related illnesses. Virginia, with its irregular, intense heat waves, could be susceptible. To the south, one study projects increases of nearly 70% given a warming of 3-4°F (although increased air conditioning use may not have been fully accounted for).
• Sea level rise could lead to flooding of low-lying property, loss of coastal wetlands, erosion of beaches, saltwater contamination of drinking water, and decreased longevity of low-lying roads, causeways, and bridges. In addition, sea level rise could increase the vulnerability of coastal areas to storms and associated flooding.
• At Newport News, sea level already is rising by 12 inches per century, and it is likely to rise another 23.3 inches by 2100. The cumulative cost of sand replenishment to protect Virginia’s coastline from a 20-inch sea level rise by 2100 is estimated at $200 million to $1.2 billion. sea level rise update
• Virginia is endowed with over 3,300 miles of tidally influenced shoreline. It consists of barrier islands, the sandy beaches of the Delmarva peninsula, as well as the western shore of Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary. The western shore of Chesapeake Bay features a diversity of tidally influenced wetlands, including freshwater and flooded hardwood marshes brackish marshes, and riverine wetlands. Because of human activities such as dredging, as well as a slow natural rate of sediment accretion, rising sea levels are likely to increase inundation and salinity intrusion in these ecosystems.
• Virginia’s existing barrier beaches are currently eroding rapidly (tens of feet per year). If sea level were to rise 3 feet or more, Virginia’s existing barrier beaches could disappear, causing further erosion of salt marshes.

The above are based on from the Environmental Protection Agency's report on climate change, which uses data from the Third Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2001).

For more info on climate change impacts on Virginia in areas such as water resources, agriculture, forests and ecosystems, you can download pdf of full EPA Report.

CO2: How Does Your State Rank?

Virginia is the highest emitter of C02 of all 50 states and the most populous.

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Maps

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Regional Initiatives

This state does not participate in any regional initiatives.

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