The coast isn't clear: Climate change already wreaking havoc, experts say

PHOTO / RENEE CORDES From left, Quincy Hentzel of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce moderated a discussion about climate change with Glenn Prickett and David Reidmiller of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.

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By Renee Cordes

Climate change is already taking a toll on Portland and other parts of Maine, according to experts from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute who underscored the need for more partnerships with businesses and communities to tackle the problem.

“This isn’t just hypothetical anymore — we’re living it,” Glenn Prickett, president and CEO of the Portland-based nonprofit, said at Thursday’s Eggs & Issues forum hosted by the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce at the University of Southern Maine.

In recent history, back-to-back winter storms in December 2023 and January 2024 caused $90 million in statewide damage.

The first, dubbed the “Grinch storm,” knocked out power for days and triggered river flooding, while the second combined with sea-level rise and unusually high tides to cause severe flooding in Portland and other coastal areas.

Breaking down the financial toll of severe weather events, Prickett noted that repairing disabled critical infrastructure is “very expensive,” while storms also pose risks to public health and safety. Businesses face disruptions as well, whether their employees’ families are put in harm’s way or supply chains are interrupted.

“The business and economic impacts begin to magnify,” he said.

Partnerships

Later on, the discussion turned to examples of how GMRI is collaborating with businesses and coastal communities to find solutions.

Building on a relationship with Hannaford and its European parent company Ahold Delhaize that goes back a decade, GMRI is working with the grocery retailer to help assess climate risks to their stores and surrounding communities. That effort is starting with stores in Portland and South Portland.

The goal is to not only help the company “climate-proof” its store operations, but also to serve as “climate ambassadors” for other businesses and communities, Prickett said.

GMRI is also lending its expertise to the midcoast town of Woolwich, where a staff member serves on the town’s climate committee, noted David Reidmiller, GMRI’s chief impact officer.

“We really do live and breathe this stuff,” he said.

GMRI has also joined forces with Portland to protect the city's working waterfront through measures including wharf improvements and the installation of the a high-speed electric boat charger for aquaculture vessels.

'Investment in economic growth'

Responding to an audience question, Prickett said that as federal funding opportunities decline, GMRI will need to find ways to increase support from private donors and tap municipal bond markets.

In closing, the panelists reiterated the need for businesses to join forces with GMRI or other organizations in the fight against climate change.

“Think about this as not just an investment in avoiding risk,” Prickett said, “but an investment in economic growth and opportunity.”