This past month, Mayor Marty Walsh announced new measures to protect East Boston and Charlestown from current and future flooding risks because of climate change. The measures include a plan for street elevation and a deployable flood wall.

The 2016 citywide Climate Ready Boston report names East Boston and Charlestown as neighborhoods with a high risk for flooding events because of sea-level rise. Two major near-term actions are identified in the report: Main Street elevation in Charlestown and a deployable floodwall across East Boston Greenway.

Elevating Main Street by an average of two feet in front of the Schrafft’s Center driveway will block the main flood pathway through Charlestown, which will protect more than 250 residents and at least 60 businesses. Installation of a seven-foot-high deployable floodwall will block the current one percent annual chance flood, which will provide immediate protection to almost 4,300 residents, at least 70 businesses and critical infrastructure.

More than 400 community members shared their ideas with Greenovate and its neighborhood partners for solutions to protect and enhance their neighborhoods through surveys, interviews, workshops and meetings for this project. This latest study is one of many actions Boston is taking to prepare our city and neighborhoods for the impacts of climate change.

Learn more about how Boston is preparing for climate change at Boston.gov/climate-ready.