The NOAA Coastal Services Center, as part of their Digital Coast program, has assembled a Coastal Inundation Toolkit. The new “Visualize” section allows users to learn how different types of visualizations can help communities understand their inundation risks and vulnerabilities. The “Picture It” page offers tools and local examples of how photos, maps, and mapping […]
Tag Archives | hazard identification
Why Communities Should Consider Total Cost of Ownership When Making Decisions
Posted on March 13, 2012
(From FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate): National Leadership Speaker Series: FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate from U.S. Green Building Council.
QUICK-TIP: Using Google Earth to View FIRMs
Posted on March 12, 2012
Need to quickly check to see which flood zone a property is in? Have Google Earth installed on your computer (it’s free, though you may need administrative rights to install it on your computer)? FEMA has a page explaining how to get those pesky FIRMs into your mapping system. Read about it here: Using the […]
San Francisco Bay Adopts Climate Change Regulations
Posted on October 11, 2011
The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission has voted unanimously to pass a development plan for land within 100 feet of the bay’s coastline. The plan—which requires that decisions about land use in the area consider factors including the latest climate science and the importance of wetland restoration—gives the agency a tool to deny […]
What’s the Relationship Between Climate Change and Extreme Weather?
Posted on October 6, 2011
Some scientists give us the rundown: (From Climate Communication)
What Do People Know About Flood Risk and How Do They Want to Learn More?
Posted on October 5, 2011
Most of the general public (69%) doesn’t believe that they are at risk of flooding, though most (68%) local official know many are wrong to feel so safe. The public wants to hear about flood risk from municipal/county officials (47% want the mayor, 32% the floodplain manager)—unfortunately, nearly half (45%) report that they “never” do. […]
Check out the New and Improved Coastal Community Resilience Index
Posted on September 14, 2011
We at StormSmart are big fans of the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium’s Coastal Community Resilience Index. For those not familiar with it, the Coastal Community Resilience Index (CRI) is a simple tool that provides a snapshot of a community’s resilience, and can help identify opportunities to improve. Designed to take as little as two hours […]
FEMA Study Finds National Floodplains Projected to Grow by 40-45%
Posted on July 27, 2011
As reported in the New York Times, last week (at the Coastal Zone conference in Chicago), FEMA shared some results from a pending study looking at the projected effects of climate change on the National Flood Insurance Program. The short version? It’s not looking pretty, and the challenges won’t be confined to coastal areas either. […]
Proposed Extension to NFIP Would Add Wind Data, Not Wind Coverage
Posted on June 24, 2011
The US Senate is considering an extension to the NFIP that would add a provision wherein the government would assign a ratio of damage caused by water (covered by the NFIP) vs wind (generally covered by homeowner’s insurance). The Coastal Act would use data already gathered by NOAA and FEMA to determine the breakdown. You […]
Town of Hull Amends Zoning Bylaw to Reduce Flood Losses
Posted on May 12, 2011
In an attempt to lessen flood losses, the town of Hull has amended their zoning bylaw to consider not only current, but future conditions. Notable changes include: 1. A requirement that the town’s review process ensures that a proposed project won’t cause or worsen flooding on other properties (sounds like a good NAI approach). The […]