Welcome to the October 2025 edition of our new Southport Resilience Network newsletter! We’re glad you are reading, and hope you stay tuned for our quarterly updates.

Southport Climate Action gets new name

The Southport Climate Action Team (SCAT), appointed by the Selectboard in 2023, is now transitioning to a new name – the Southport Resilience Network (SRN). Although preparations for climate-related risks remain integral to our mission, our primary focus is on community building and emergency preparedness.

Under this new umbrella, we have launched the SRN website and a registration form to join the network. We strongly encourage everyone (yes, we mean every household on Southport, whether full-time or seasonal) to provide contact information so we can assist each other during emergencies. In addition, we are proposing a neighborhood-based support system.

What have we been up to?

To date, we have held multiple public meetings to identify key risks Southporters face, and to develop criteria for prioritizing them. Kathy Jacobs and Ella Long, the co-chairs of SRN, have conducted interviews with roughly 30 individuals/groups to hear their perspectives and input on vulnerabilities. SRN has also been working on nature-based solutions to address flooding and storm damage at Hendricks Head Beach. Our consultant, Shri Verrill of Sunrise Ecologic, has written 5 grant applications, 4 of which resulted in a total of $190,000 for Southport to date. The fifth application is still pending. For a summary of recent activity, see our PowerPoint presentation.

Update on Hendrick’s Head Beach Project

The January 2024 storms resulted in major damage along the road and parking area at Hendrick’s Head Beach. We have since jumped at the opportunity to receive public funding for ways to address ongoing flooding hazards and restore the marsh area north of the lot. After many discussions with neighbors, Dirigo Engineering was selected to develop alternative designs that meet regulatory requirements. There are ongoing discussions about the specifics, and the next step will be a conversation at the Selectboard meeting October 15. Following that discussion, input will be provided to the engineers regarding the final design. We hope funding may become available over the next year, and construction could possibly be initiated in the fall of 2027.

Vulnerability Assessment

Our initial summary of Southporters’ concerns on vulnerabilities, along with some possible solutions, is available here. If we are missing something you think is important, we would love to hear from you! We are also interested in creative solutions! Please contact Ella Long with your ideas.

Who are we?

The current group of valiant volunteers includes Kathy Jacobs and Ella Long (co-chairs); Christine Dillman and John Nunan (communications); Smith Climo, Matt Cole, Devin Domeyer, and Claire Tomlin. We welcome others who are willing to help!

We look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions, please contact us at ellalong@roadrunner.com