Case Studies | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

Communities, businesses, and individuals are taking action to document their vulnerabilities and build resilience to climate-related impacts. Click dots on the map to preview case studies, or browse stories below the map. Use the drop-down menus above to find stories of interest. To expand your results, click the Clear Filters link.

A water reservoir that is mostly dry due to drought.

Drought Response and Recovery Project for Water Utilities in Las Vegas, NM

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s storymap contains case studies and videos that describe the experiences of small and medium-sized drinking water utilities that successfully responded to drought. Explore the story of Las Vegas, New Mexico.

Drought Response and Recovery Project for Water Utilities in North Marin Water District, CA

Drought Response and Recovery Project for Water Utilities in Spicewood Beach, TX

Drought Response and Recovery Project for Water Utilities in Tuolumne Utilities District, CA

Early Warning Information Increases Options for Drought Mitigation

In the growing season, farmers and ranchers keep a watchful eye for any sign of drought. Early warning information can increase their range of options for dealing with the lack of water.

The Coleman Theater in downtown Miami, OK

Eighth Graders and Emergency Preparedness in Oklahoma

Educating local middle-schoolers about emergency preparedness allows the small city of Miami to build climate resilience in an accessible way—and broach the topic of climate change.

Photo of flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy in Brooklyn, New York

Elevated Rehabilitation Facility Functions Flawlessly Through Hurricane Sandy

Flood-resistant construction of Seagate Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Brooklyn helped staff and patients shelter in place through the storm.

Aerial view of the San Francisco Bay with the Bay Bridge in foreground.

Engaging Stakeholders in Planning for Sea Level Rise

Sea level rise is changing the shoreline of San Francisco Bay, endangering homes, habitats, and vital infrastructure. Stakeholders from a diverse array of sectors around the Bay are participating in preparations through a regional partnership.

Recreational boats on quiet water with seaside homes in background.

Exploring Adaptation Options for Water Infrastructure at Sea Level

In Massachusetts, Manchester-by-the-Sea's wastewater treatment plant is located right on the coast. The town's water utility is working with the EPA's Creating Resilient Water Utilities program to consider its adaptation options.

Mill River Culvert, Old Croton Aqueduct, Tarrytown, New York

Extreme Rainfall Analyses Can Point to Right Size for Culverts

Across most of the United States, the heaviest rainfall events have become heavier and more frequent. New tools can help decision makers choose culverts with appropriate capacities for the future.

A worker bee returns to the colony with its load of pollen

Field, Farm, Forest, and City: Sustaining Pollinator Health to Build Ecosystem Resilience

Climate variability and change are among the many threats that pollinators such as bees, butterflies, bats, and other species face. Beekeepers and pollinator advocates are working to preserve pollinators and the ecosystem that depends upon them.

waves crash down at the shoreline where large rocks are scattered.

Florida Experiment Lessens Shoreline Damage from High-Energy Waves

Along a shoreline that was buffeted by fierce wave action and boat wakes, a dual-defense strategy led to a 30 to 90 percent reduction in destructive wave energy.

Photo of tornado damage in Greensburg, Kansas

Following a Devastating Tornado, Town and Hospital Rebuild to Harness Wind Energy

After 90 percent of the town was damaged or destroyed by a tornado, Greensburg, Kansas, and Kiowa County Memorial Hospital developed a Long-Term Community Recovery plan to rebuild for resilience.

Residential trees and one of Chicago's elevated commuter trains

Fortifying Chicago's Urban Forest

Trees within a city can help reduce urban heat, control stormwater, and provide habitat to local wildlife. As climate conditions change, a Chicago group is working to enhance its urban forest so that the city can continue to receive these benefits.

Grand Isle: Louisiana's First Line of Defense from Coastal Flooding

Lying directly south of New Orleans on Louisiana’s coast, Grand Isle often bears the brunt of strong waves and storm surge in the Gulf of Mexico. To protect this town and inland parishes from flooding, engineers constructed a first line of defense.

Green or Gray? Choosing to Preserve Water Quality

Faced with the potential of a large expense related to water quality, the Portland (Maine) Water District performed a thorough analysis of their options. Their choice came down to making an investment in conservation or concrete.

Greening Boston: The Climate Change Preparedness and Resiliency Checklist

To build the city's resilience, Boston requires that new buildings and renovation projects follow best practices for climate change adaptation.

Photo of plume of smoke is seen rising from the North Fork fire in Jefferson County, Colorado

Health Care Facilities Maintain Indoor Air Quality Through Smoke and Wildfires

When smoke from wildfires swirls around health care facilities, prepared hospitals in California and Colorado use air quality tools to keep the indoor environment safe for patients and staff.

Home Elevation Program Helps Demystify The Process

Partners in the Keyswide Home Elevation Education Project developed trainings and informational materials to demystify the process and increase knowledge on home elevation. Materials help answer homeowners' and contractors' questions about costs, methods, barriers, permitting, duration, and financing.

Hospital Plans Ahead for Power, Serves the Community Through Hurricane Sandy

The combined heat and power system at Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut kept the lights on through Hurricane Sandy, and the system continues to support community resilience.

A view of a hot-cold map generated from the North Atlantic LCC Conservation Planning Atlas

Hot-Cold Map Provides Blueprint for Protecting Ecosystems

A regional conservation partnership in Massachusetts needed to update their approach to evaluating land acquisitions. Adding the complexity of climate change to their map helped resolve their vision.

How New Battery Capacity Helped California Avoid Another Blackout

New battery capacity in the form of battery energy storage (BES) units was a key difference-maker that contributed, along with demand response, to preventing blackouts during California’s extreme heatwave in September 2022.

How Vulnerable Are Salmon to a Changing Climate?

Researchers in Washington's South Fork Nooksack River are seeking to better understand the potential impacts of climate change on water quality and salmon recovery—a process they hope can be replicated and scaled in other watersheds across the country.

How Will Fish Fare in the Future? Assessing Vulnerability Across an Ecosystem

Fisheries in the Northeast—and the businesses that depend on them—want to know how fish will respond to climate change. A new methodology helps scientists and fisheries managers identify species' vulnerability across an ecosystem.

The Meramec River running past Onondaga Cave State Park in Missouri.

Identifying High-Priority Conservation Lands to Enhance Flood Mitigation

Community groups are working to establish a connected ring of conservation land around St. Louis, Missouri. They're using an innovative strategy to help them target land that can also enhance their flood mitigation efforts.

Levee holding flood waters in Fargo, North Dakota

Improving Communication of Flood Forecasts

When a flood is forecast for the Red River of the North, community leaders, emergency responders, and residents around Fargo, North Dakota, and Moorhead, Minnesota, can gauge their need for preparation by accessing visualizations showing the extent, depth, and timing of expected flooding.

Improving Water Quality by Dealing with the First Inch of Rain

The suburban city of Mount Rainier, Maryland, is doing its part to improve the water quality of a polluted river in its region: residents and organizations are using green infrastructure to reduce stormwater runoff.

In the Dark of Monday Morning: Waves Inundate a Pacific Island Community

People who live on low-lying islands are reminded daily of the threat they face from coastal flooding. An unexpected disaster prompted a community in the Republic of the Marshall Islands to consider how to notify people of potential events and help them know how to respond.

Restoring native longleaf pine ecosystems on the Francis Marion National Forest may include the use of management strategies like prescribed burning.

Incorporating Climate Change Into a New Forest Management Plan

Facing sea level rise, increasing numbers of wildfires, and encroachment of invasive species, managers of a national forest chose to integrate climate change into their new plan.

Increasing Transportation Resilience in the Gulf Coast

A federal study assessed vulnerabilities of transportation infrastructure to extreme events in Mobile, Alabama. The effort also resulted in tools and approaches that other transportation departments can use to assess and address their own vulnerabilities.

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit