Policy Guidance

Regional Resilient Design Guidelines for Hampton Roads, October 2025 Verision 1.1\" On January 16, 2025, the HRPDC adopted a resolution encouraging local governments within the region to consider adopting policies to implement regional resilient design guidelines for stormwater management. These guidelines include recommendations for tailwater conditions, higher precipitation levels for design storms, and design storms that account for both tidal conditions and rainfall. Recommendations from the approved Regional Resilient Design Guidelines for Hampton Roads are summarized below.

Sea Level Rise

  • Hampton Roads localities should incorporate the following sea level rise projections into their plans (comprehensive plans, hazard mitigation plans, etc.) and policies (public works standards, stormwater ordinances, zoning ordinances, etc.).
    1. 1.5 feet of sea level rise by 2050 (relative to the 1983-2001 National Tidal Datum Epoch)
    2. 3.0 feet of sea level rise by 2080
    3. 4.5 feet of sea level rise by 2100
  • For projects with longer lifespans, Hampton Roads localities should calculate project-appropriate sea level rise projections based on the 2022 Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States using a tool such as the NASA Sea Level Projection Tool or NOAA Sea Level Calculator.

Tailwater Elevations

  • Hampton Roads localities should incorporate watershed-specific tailwater elevations into their stormwater design standards. These elevations should account for sea level rise based on project lifespan.

Precipitation

  • Hampton Roads localities should adopt standards requiring the use of future precipitation levels that account for projected climate change. Hampton Roads localities should adopt a standard that increases NOAA Atlas 14 values by a minimum of 10%.

Joint Tidal/Rainfall Design Storms

  • Hampton Roads localities should adopt design storm requirements that account for both tidal elevations and rainfall and incorporate projected future conditions from sea level rise and increased rainfall.

Regional Sea Level Rise Policy

On October 18, 2018, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission approved and adopted a resolution (PDF) encouraging local governments within the region to consider adopting policies that incorporate sea level rise into planning and engineering decisions. The approved HRPDC Sea Level Rise Planning Policy and Approach (PDF) recommends the following relative sea level rise scenarios:

  • 1.5 feet above current mean higher high water (MHHW) for near-term (2018 to 2050)
  • 3 feet above current mean higher high water (MHHW) for mid-term (2050 to 2080)
  • 4.5 feet above current mean higher high water (MHHW) for long-term (2080 to 2100)

The document also recommends selecting sea level rise curves and designs based on the risk tolerance and costs associated with individual projects. HRPDC staff is working to develop more specific implementation recommendations for categories of projects and policies.

2025 HRPDC Resiliency Legislative Priorities

HRPDC staff support resilience planning efforts by providing policy guidance and recommendations at multiple scales. The HRPDC 2025 Regional Legislative Priorities include (bullet points) establishing a new state funding program to assist with nono-federal match requirements for federal grants to support large-scale flood relief projects, enacting state legislation that provides for the transparent disclosure of past flooding experiences during real estate transactions, providing adequate funding for the Community Flood Preparedness Fund, and providing funding to maintain and operate a regional flood sensor network across Hampton Roads.

View previous regional legislative priorities HERE.

Resolution to Encourage Local Adoption of C-PACE Financing Programs

On October 15, 2020, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission approved and adopted a resolution (PDF) encouraging local governments in Hampton Roads to consider adopting Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) programs. C-PACE encourages private sector investment in energy use reductions, water efficiency, resiliency, and stormwater improvements for both existing properties and new construction. Localities can adopt C-PACE programs by ordinance to facilitate loans made by qualified lenders to non-residential property owners to finance the initial project acquisition and installation costs.

HRPDC Report

Integrating Coastal Resilience Into Local Plans, Policies, and Ordinances (2017) (PDF) - HRPDC Staff documented best practices for localities to incorporate coastal resilience into their planning documents. This report provides an assessment of coastal resilience in current local plans and policies and highlights case studies of coastal resilience policy initiatives in Virginia, Florida, and South Carolina.