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.

Photo of pararescueman Staff Sgt. Lopaka Mounts receiving a hug from a resident after Hurricane Ike, Sept. 13, 2008.

A Climate for Resilience

The City of Houston faces an array of climate vulnerabilities: flooding, drought, tropical cyclones, and extreme heat can all affect the city's population and industries. Government and non-profit agencies in the region combined their resources in a pilot project to plan for climate resilience.

Planning drawing for College Avenue in Fort Colllins, CO

Building Smart in the Floodplain

The city of Fort Collins, Colorado, found a win-win solution to problems it faced with 100 acres of abandoned property. The city now enjoys new green space, improved floodwater management, and a boosted economy.

Skyline of Las Cruces, NM and the Organ Mountains

Catalyzing Investment and Building Capacity in Las Cruces

Planning with extreme weather thresholds catalyzes a $400,000 green infrastructure investment in a historically underserved neighborhood in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

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.

Luck Is Not a Policy We Can Count On: Boston Takes a Proactive Approach to Climate Adaptation

After witnessing what happened in New York City during Hurricane Sandy, Boston city leaders were determined to get ahead of their potential problems. To do so, they convened a diverse coalition of residents and worked to craft a comprehensive plan to adapt to climate change.

Planning for the Future in a Floodplain

After a nightmare flood in 1997, Fort Collins, Colorado, stepped up efforts to improve resilience in the face of extreme events—efforts that will also serve the community well if climate change leads to heavier rainstorms.

Climate and Health Adaptation in Action PDF screenshot of flooding

Successes of CDC’s Climate-Ready States and Cities Initiative

CDC’s Climate and Health Program helps states, cities, territories, and tribes protect human health from a changing climate. CDC provides data, tools, and technical guidance to help U.S. health agencies reduce vulnerability and increase resilience to the health effects of climate change.

A flood damaged aerial view of downtown Gays Mills, Wis., is shown from an UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to the Army.

Using Demonstration Storms to Prepare for Extreme Rainfall

An extreme precipitation event in 2008 cost one town more than a million dollars in infrastructure repairs. Now, other municipalities can simulate how their homes, businesses, and facilities might fare if they experienced a similar event.

When Weather Becomes a Problem: Motivating Resilience Action in Texas

In San Angelo, a focus on addressing current weather-related concerns provided an avenue for taking action and created a foundation on which to build future climate resilience efforts.