This report highlights the efforts of two communities to strengthen regulations after catastrophic flood events: Cedar Falls, Iowa and Waveland, Mississippi. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) are created to guide insurance premiums based on historical floods occurring within either 100 or 500 years, and these case studies are designed to help communities consider how they… Read more
This report explores the challenges to retrofitting multifamily housing in New York City after Hurricane Sandy and reports the results of a workshop in which designers, engineers and other experts identified cost-effective retrofit strategies for NYC’s multifamily units in the floodplain. Urban areas with similar challenges can use this as an example of how to… Read more
Hurricane Sandy motivated the federal government to examine how it might improve community and infrastructure resilience so that communities are better prepared for existing and future threats, including those exacerbated by climate change. To ensure that federal agencies incorporate key principles of resilience into their formulation, evaluation, and prioritization of infrastructure investments related to Sandy… Read more
This provides a summary of recommended improvements to New York City’s operations based on operations before, during and after Hurricane Sandy. The report notes that it is not an exhaustive list of all lessons learned in Hurricane Sandy; rather, it is intended to provide “a roadmap of the strategic steps the City will take to… Read more
This case study examines the challenges encountered by Vermont localities affected by Hurricane Irene when trying to use federal disaster relief funds to increase resilience of their communities, particularly in transportation systems and infrastructure. Following Irene, Vermont encountered legal barriers when FEMA initially refused to reimburse communities for the added costs of rebuilding roads and… Read more
The GridWise Alliance (GWA) conducted a workshop entitled “Grid Modernization Impacts During Superstorm Sandy and Other Very Large Scale Grid Events” to explore challenges and opportunities that very large scale events (VLSEs) events present to the electric system. This report notes that grid modernization alone cannot adequately ensure that the electric grid is safe, secure,… Read more
The author presents his experience in collaborating with the Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery to underscore how collaborative scientific efforts and advances in science can improve and better manage extreme weather events, particularly those related to sea-level rise. Emphasizes the need for collaborations to be forward-looking and flexible (i.e., able to prepare for… Read more
The Obama administration aspires to work with communities to help them rebuild smarter and better by providing the best data about the risks they face, setting clear resilience standards to help protect against those risks, and bringing a wide range of stakeholders together to foster innovative ideas and ensure a comprehensive regional approach to rebuilding.… Read more
A post-disaster town hall meeting is first and most important opportunity for localities to update their community on the status of recovery efforts underway. The agenda and content of a press release notifying the community of the meeting will vary widely depending on the locality, peril and extent of damage. Below are several examples of how… Read more
An EF-5 Tornado struck Joplin, Missouri, on May 22, 2011, with damage estimated at up to $3 billion. Yet Joplin has seen a rapid recovery despite the extensive damage. The Joplin tornado provides an opportunity to determine if findings from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina apply to other major natural disasters. This study uses interviews… Read more
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