Tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes—the list of natural disasters that can impact coastal communities is long and frightening. "Resilient communities" is a term that describes efforts focused on helping communities adapt and maintain an acceptable level of functioning and structure in the face of adversity.
Strong natural ecosystems are an important component of communities that are broadly resilient. One of the lessons from Katrina is that wetlands, woods, dunes, nourished beaches, and even barrier islands proved to be effective at helping protect levees and coastal infrastructure. Researchers are calling this the "greenbelt defense," and it may provide coastal managers with additional ammunition in their efforts to protect and restore habitat.
There are many roles coastal resource managers play in the development of resilient communities. The following list outlines some of the tools developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center to assist in this effort.
Risk and Vulnerability Assessments
Products featured on this Web site include an easy-to-use process that helps users assess the risk and vulnerability index of areas in their community. This information is helpful when identifying and prioritizing mitigation activities. Also included is a 3-D model demonstrating how storm surge could inundate specific areas, and the Hazard Locator Tool, which is used to quickly determine an area's level of risk for being hit by storm surge, flooding, winds, and erosion.
Visit www.csc.noaa.gov/rvat/ to get this information.
Web Portal for Storm-Related Data and Tools
Storm-related data and tools (forecasts and advisories, wind speeds, storm surge measurements, high-resolution data, tide levels, post-storm impact data, shoreline change, etc.) are available from one on-line resource, the Storm Data Resource Guide.
See the guide at www.csc.noaa.gov/storm_info/.
Impervious Surface Analysis Tool
This Web-based tool is used to calculate the percentage of impervious surface areas in a region. This information is helpful for officials who want to incorporate projected runoff rates into their development decisions.
To get the tool, visit www.csc.noaa.gov/bins/tools.html
Tool for Determining Potential Hazards
American Samoa is using the Tutuila Hazard Assessment Tool (T-HAT) to uncover potential hazards in the early phases of the development permitting process. Different data layers in a geographic information system (GIS) come together to indicate a project proposal's potential risk for flooding, mud slides, and other hazards. Project plans can be adjusted before the permits are issued. While developed for American Samoa, the site is adaptable for other coastal regions.
Get your copy of T-HAT at www.csc.noaa.gov/t_hat/.
High-Resolution Elevation Data
High-resolution elevation data are available for download and can be used in storm surge and inundation modeling. This information can help coastal managers more accurately plan for inundation from hurricanes and coastal storms, an essential element when planning evacuation routes and ensuring the operability of critical facilities during a hazardous event. Available elevation data can be downloaded from www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/tcm/.
These and many other Center tools help communities join together to begin the vital task of creating resilient communities.
For additional information about the Center's resilient communities efforts, contact Sandy Eslinger at Sandy.Eslinger@noaa.gov.
