On a Trump-loving island in the Chesapeake, a virus outbreak unites instead of divides Peter Jamison Allen Bradford, a lifelong resident of Tangier Island, works on the Courtney Thomas mail boat, which still makes trips between the mainland and the remote Chesapeake Bay outpost. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post) TANGIER, Va. The news at the dock was bad. As a handful of masked passengers stepped off the Courtney Thomas, one of the only boats still traveling to and from this remote island in the Chesapeake Bay, Susan Parks looked for the oxygen machine that was scheduled to arrive for her patients. The home-health aide could see it was not among the packages and mail being unloaded. The boat’s captain, Brett Thomas, had another reason to look somber as he stepped off his boat beneath a clear December sky.
would ever live like this if we don t get help. it s going to be like memory. she died in 1913. what year was the member on it, one day walking around, picking up pieces of glass. sea level rise isn t effecting here, it s 450 locals. what many larger waterfront cities are threatened by climate change, convincing outsiders this small town is worth saving is a challenge. it seems to me that the decisions we as a country make about whether or not to save this place, will inform how we deal with much bigger problems with cities like new york city. earl swift is a journalist working on a book about the tanger lan. researching where they refuse to
reporter: one of your fears has got to be somebody like you one day walking around tangier picking up pieces of glass wondering about your life. picking up my life. reporter: sea level rise isn t just affecting tangier and its 450 locals. with many larger waterfront cities such as miami and new orleans threatened by climate change, convincing outsiders this small town is worth saving is a challenge. it seems to me that the decisions we as a country make about whether or not to save this place will inform how we deal with much bigger problems in cities like norfolk and new orleans and miami and new york city. reporter: earl swift is a journalist working on a book about tangier s climate plight. he lives part-time on the island researching life here where residents say they refuse to be climate change refugees. if you make the decision that whether or not you save a place is simply a function of head count, then tangier doesn t have a chance. you can t make it cost