Lighthouses have transcended time and continue to stand sentinel over America’s rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, remote islands and wave-swept ledges. However, despite their ability to stand the test of time, lighthouses are threatened like never before.
Climate change, rising sea levels and severe storms – with greater intensity and frequency, are now exacting a heavy toll on these irreplaceable treasures.
Our nation, as well as the rest of the world, witnessed firsthand this reality during January 2024 when two powerful storms – arriving just three days apart, struck the Maine coast with fury and unprecedented storm surge levels. The storms caused harm to one-third of Maine’s 66 lighthouses.
As a national preservation leader, the American Lighthouse Foundation is calling attention to the increasing threat that climate change is posing to sustainable preservation efforts and public access programs at historic light stations.
This is the new reality we face. The time to act is now!
ALF Storm & Mitigation Committee
The American Lighthouse Foundation formed a Storm & Mitigation Committee in April 2024, dedicated to developing a series of best practices that can help lighthouses become more resilient in the face of future storms.
