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Coastal Hazards Information System (COHIS)

In an effort to improve state coastal hazard response capability, NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, in partnership with the Alabama and Georgia Coastal Zone Management Programs has developed a Coastal Hazards Information System (COHIS). The Arcview-based system uses GIS and Global Positioning System (GPS), to provide a unified and comprehensive pre-storm planning and post-storm damage assessment capability for coastal areas. Modeled after South Carolina's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management and the NOAA Coastal Services Center Fellowship "Post-Hurricane Recovery Project", COHIS provides an additional interactive, internet-based ArcIMS mapping system. The effort was funded by a grant from NOAA's High Performance Computing and Communications Office.

Community Vulnerability Assessment Methodology Use

State of New Hampshire's Hazard Mitigation 409 Plan (with a risk and vulnerability assessment section)

Statewide Hazard Risk and Vulnerability Assessment for the State of Rhode Island
The State of Rhode Island has conducted a statewide risk and vulnerability assessment to prepare for and minimize the impact of natural hazards on its communities. The state's goal is to prevent injuries and deaths, protect public and private property, and create a disaster-ready statewide economy. The assessment was conducted using the Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool. This tool, developed by the NOAA Coastal Services Center, is a methodology that employs map data layers to analyze critical facilities, and to assess the societal, economic, and environmental vulnerabilities of a community to disasters.

Testimonials from Partners

John Shaughnessy
New Hampshire State Protection Planner
and State Hazard Mitigation Officer

"The Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool Web site was sent to all of our Project Impact Community Hazard Mitigation Planners involved in All Hazards Mitigation Planning and communities involved in creating Flood Hazard Mitigation Plans under FEMA's Flood Mitigation Assistance Program. We recommend this tool to communities that are interested in performing vulnerability assessments and risk analyses as components of their Hazard Mitigation Plans and we have specifically included it as an appendix in a recent draft of our New Hampshire Community Hazard Mitigation Planning Guide."

Peter Throop
Planner for the City of Keene, New Hampshire

"In the case of Keene, the Community Vulnerability Assessment Tool provided the inspiration for our thinking regarding how to prioritize potential mitigation projects. The actual approach we employed drew from the conceptual framework implied from the CVAT, and was then further developed to reflect our particular needs and circumstances. In the end what evolved was a weighted rating prioritization approach based on location specific criteria."