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.

The dock at China Champ, San Rafael, California

A Road-Flooding Fix for a California State Park

Flooding from rain and extreme high tides often leaves the road to San Francisco's China Camp State Park inaccessible. So a diverse group of stakeholders, with support from NOAA’s Science Collaborative team, proposed raising the road.

Collaboration Among Counties Improves Regional Vulnerability Assessments

To better prepare for current and future sea level rise, four counties in South Florida joined forces to agree upon consistent sea level rise mapping methods.

A view of the sea from the dock behind the dunes.

Community-Led Resilience Program Leads to Shovel-Ready Projects

Learn how the North Carolina Division of Coastal Management is helping communities build their resilience to coastal flood hazards through an incentive-based program that provides planning and funding for nature-based projects.

Skyline of highrise buildings and shipping cranes with mountains in the background

Creating a Model Climate Resilient City

The City of Long Beach, California, sees signs of climate change on land and in the ocean. After compiling the City's official climate assessment report, local stakeholders also produced a more accessible and user-friendly summary version and shared it broadly to stimulate informed discussion and decision making across the city.

Designing a Communications Handout About Sea Level Rise

Faced with episodic high-tide flooding, partners in Charleston, South Carolina, calculated the potential extent and frequency of similar flooding in the future. Focus group feedback on this information helped organizers design an informative fact sheet.

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.

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.

Mandeville, Louisiana: A City that Stays Afloat by Promoting Elevations

The City of Mandeville, located in St. Tammany Parish, decided to commit to helping residents escape troublesome flood waters. Finally tiring of the constant issue of a repeated damage-repair cycle, city officials decided to act by adopting high regulatory standards for the elevation of homes and businesses.

State Highway Administration Catalogs Vulnerabilities

Through the innovative use of a collection of tools, Maryland has begun identifying which of its roads and bridges are vulnerable to climate-related events.

Marsh periwinkle on marsh grass, Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.

Visualizing Completion of Coastal Projects Reassures Stakeholders

Shoreline property owners weren't sure how changes they needed to make to adapt to rising sea level would look. Maryland Department of Natural Resources staff found a way to create visualizations illustrating the likely visual impact of living shorelines.

View of city buildings with a wide river running through the center.

What if it Happened Here? Boston Takes a Lesson From Houston’s Hurricane Harvey

Faced with the possibility of a storm similar to Hurricane Harvey hitting Boston, the City Mayor had city planners evaluate the resilience of the city's stormwater system to a 500-year storm.