TANGIER, VA. — Tangier Island Mayor James "Ooker" Eskridge acknowledged rapid climate change and coastal land loss on the island during a recent tour with environmental and government partners. Eskridge stated that the effects of land loss are visible almost weekly.

The island, located southeast of Washington D.C. in Virginia, has lost two-thirds of its land mass since 1850, according to a 2015 study. That same study projected the island could become uninhabitable by 2065. Parts of Tangier Island experience a land loss rate of 32 feet per year, based on research from BayLand.

Eskridge observed that the climate is changing, citing differing wind patterns and extreme tides. He emphasized the necessity for adaptation, stating, "The climate is definitely changing and changing fast … you're going to need to adapt." He also noted, "If you're unable to adapt you are in trouble." The mayor mentioned that many people are becoming discouraged by the situation.

Evan Mazur, a water resources engineer with BayLand, stated that by 2050, the sea level could be 1.71 feet higher than it was in 1992. Anna Johnson, a coastal engineer with BayLand, stated that the loss of marsh is expected to escalate. Approximately 750 acres of land remain on Tangier Island today.

In 1990, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed a 5,700-foot seawall on the western shoreline of Tangier Island. A jetty was built west of the channel on the island in 2021.

The current population of Tangier Island is approximately 250, a decrease from 436 six years ago. Eskridge remarked that while it is encouraging for groups to come together, it is a process. He also added, "Eventually it's going to affect a lot more people than it already affects."