In an attempt to lessen flood losses, the town of Hull, Massachusetts 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). […]
Tag Archives | case study
Not Mapped in the Flood Zone, Not at Storm Surge Risk? Not so Fast.
Posted on May 5, 2011
A new report looking at the risk of homes exposed to hurricane-driven storm surge damage in ten major urban areas along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts finds that the majority of homes in those communities that are in designated surge zones are not included in local flood zones. In Virginia Beach, for example, 87 percent […]
Are You an Emergency Manager? Why You Need Social Media (and it needs you)
Posted on April 19, 2011
A new article from USA Today takes another look at how emergency management officials are using social media. We’ve seen these before, but each one adds new evidence to this simple idea: If you’re working in emergency management and NOT using social media, you’re hampering your ability to do you job. This study from the […]
“Not everything we love can be saved’’
Posted on April 4, 2011
Hard truths from a local official facing sea level rise in his community. “Fighting a losing battle with the sea” The Boston Globe
Four New Case Studies on Climate Change Adaptation for Water Utilities
Posted on March 29, 2011
Tying in with their Climate Ready Water Utilities program, the EPA has released four case studies looking at specific adaptation steps communities are taking. The communities are East Bay (CA), New York City, Seattle (WA), and Spartanburg (SC). You can download the case study from EPA’s website.
New Research on the Benefits and Detriments of Coastal Armoring
Posted on March 4, 2011
A new paper looking at structural shore protection in Massachusetts and Hawaii finds a few things to like, and a lot to cause consternation. Among the benefits: Stabilizes the upland Protects infrastructure Maintains property values for some . . . And the detriments: Source sediment impoundment resulting in increased erosion of the fronting and adjacent […]
Best Practices for Effective Hurricane Communication
Posted on December 6, 2010
Louisiana State University has released a great brochure on best practices for communicating about hurricane risks. It’s short, simple, and it makes sense. Here’s the meat of it, broken down by audience: GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS Be Proactive in Educating the Public: Gaining compliance during a hurricane requires year-round efforts. Waiting until the storms hit invites disaster. […]
Five Years After Katrina: The Changing Landscape of the Lower Ninth Ward
Posted on August 27, 2010
The New York Times has created a mesmerizing and troubling (and clever) webpage that allows you to virtually drive down two streets in New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward in 2006, 2007, 2009, and 2010. The animation stops at various properties along the way, so you can see how certain buildings have fared (some gone, some […]
Are You Using Social Media for Emergency Management? Your Citizens Are!
Posted on August 10, 2010
The Red Cross has released the results of a survey of just over 1,000 respondents on how people use and expect to use social media during a disaster. The results are pretty striking. A couple of highlights: Nearly 3-in-4 respondents use at least one online community or social network. Facebook was by far the most […]
3ft of Freeboard? I'll Take 12ft!
Posted on July 19, 2010
After Hurricane Ike bashed a hole in their roof and left their first floor uninhabitable, FEMA experts recommended that Galveston residents Matt and Lauren Johnson elevate their home 3′ above the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program. The Johnsons went for 12′ instead. “Even if it costs us more now, whatever costs us […]