When local land use decisions get made on a sunny day, it’s easy to forget the risk from natural hazards, such as floods. But, as coastal resource managers in Mississippi and Louisiana learned during Hurricane Katrina, it is critical to ensure the safety of facilities that will be essential to a community’s resilience and sustainability before, during, and in the days and weeks after a flood.
The flood risk to critical facilities across the country is such a concern that the Association of State Floodplain Managers (ASFPM) has issued a white paper on the topic. In the cover story of this edition of Coastal Services, we look at the problem, the ASFPM’s recommendations, and the role coastal managers have in helping coastal communities reduce the risk and increase the resilience of critical facilities.
One of the best places to find the right tools, data, and partnerships for addressing flooding and other natural hazards, as well as the myriad of other issues that coastal managers face, is Coastal GeoTools ’11.
Being held March 21 to 24 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Coastal GeoTools ’11 provides coastal managers with the opportunity not only to explore existing and emerging technology, but to discover new partnerships, engage consensus-building tools, and enhance the sharing of geospatial data.
For the first time, this year’s conference is offering communication-related professional development opportunities. Communications 101 offerings will help attendees learn how to develop outreach plans, improve speaking skills, and communicate using social media.
Focused on the Digital Coast, an exciting technological gateway that provides access to a plethora of geospatial data, tools, and technical training, this stimulating and inspiring conference also offers coastal managers the opportunity to share their technical knowledge and experiences, and learn about available training, data, and technology resources.
The combined energy and ideas generated during Coastal GeoTools ’11 will leave participants with the necessary resources, contacts, and communication skills to create the right solutions for their coastal communities.
To follow the GeoTools conference on Twitter, or for more information on the conference, go to http://geotools.csc.noaa.gov/.
I hope to see you there!
Margaret A. Davidson
-- Margaret A. Davidson
