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.

Quantifying Risk Shows Value of Replacing Highway

Louisiana’s Highway 1 carries a significant fraction of the gas and oil that comes from the Gulf of Mexico to distribution points in the United States. Faced with rising seas and sinking land, would the cost of rebuilding the road be worth the investment it required?

Quinault Village of Taholah on the Pacific Coast, October 2009

Quinault Indian Nation Plans for Village Relocation

As the threats of tsunami and sea level rise are joined by real and potential climate impacts, the Quinault community looks to move the lower village of Taholah to higher ground.

Waves crashing into basaltic rocks from lava flows on Hawai'i Island

Reality Check: Collaborative Research Contributes to Real-Life Policy Decisions

Innovative research efforts combined historic aerial photos, drone imagery, and topographic surveys to characterize coastal change around Hawai'i Island. The results are informing policy makers who are crafting a new setback policy for coastal development.

Photo of young men trying to mitigate erosion near Kivalina, Alaska

Relocating Kivalina

Rising seas and coastal erosion are eating away at the barrier island on which the Alaska Native Village of Kivalina rests. Residents and others are making concerted efforts to move the community to safety.

Restoring Natural Dunes to Enhance Coastal Protection

When Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey, homes and businesses along developed portions of the shore sustained substantial damage. Just down the beach, neighborhoods located inland from beaches with natural dune systems fared much better.

An aerial view of Surfers' Point taken February 4, 2014

Restoring Surfers' Point: Partnership's Persistence Pays Off

Coastal erosion has repeatedly damaged bike paths and parking lots near Ventura, California. It took local groups with varying viewpoints more than a decade to agree upon a strategy, but the first phase of their solution is now complete.

Saving Tidal Marshes in the San Francisco Bay

As sea level rises, wetlands and marshes must move inland, or drown. The Sonoma Land Trust is using innovative strategies to restore and enhance marshlands and the ecosystems they support.

A Black-Necked Stilt meanders in a shallow salt marsh at Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve near Huntington Beach, California.

Sediment Strategy Seeks to Save Salt Marsh Species

One of Southern California’s few remaining tidal marshes—and the habitat it provides for marine life and endangered birds—is threatened by sea level rise. A collaborative effort is underway to help these wetlands stay above water.

Scenic view through Spanish moss-covered trees in a wetland area of coastal South Carolina

Setting Conservation Priorities for Preserving Wildlife Habitat

At South Carolina's Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, rising seas are threatening the habitats of wetland species. A team modeled how marshes in the refuge are likely to migrate in response to sea level rise, and set targets for conserving additional land for habitats.

Gulfport, MS, August 20, 2010. The new pier was completed with construction funds provided by FEMA to help rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina.

Shopping Mall Exhibit Raises Awareness of Sea Level Rise

Residents along the U.S. Gulf Coast are familiar with the flooding hazards associated with storms, yet many are unaware of the risk of sea level rise. Shoppers at a local mall had a chance to explore the potential impacts of sea level rise on their communities.

Show Don't Tell: Visualizing Sea Level Rise to Set Planning Priorities

City officials in Tybee Island, Georgia, recognized sea level rise as a growing problem for their community. Visualizations from a sea level rise viewer helped them raise awareness of the city's vulnerabilities and led to development of Georgia’s first sea level rise plan.

Sunset behind the Pierhead Lighthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan

Staying Even with Mother Nature

On the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan, the city of St. Joseph is vulnerable to flooding from storm surges. Residents and city officials recognized the need to build resilience and worked together to enact a "no-build" ordinance to help minimize coastal erosion and retain beach access.

Students Promote Flood Resilience and Reduce Insurance Costs

Middle school students are working to help residents recognize and reduce flood risk in their coastal Georgia city. Their efforts are also earning the community credits to lower their costs for flood insurance.

Aerial photo of northern Beaufort County’s low-lying sea islands.

The Lowcountry Lowdown on Sea Level Rise

Recognizing increasing risks from sea level rise, leaders in Beaufort County, South Carolina, used a participatory process to help anticipate outcomes and make plans to build their resilience.

Lone Tree Point on the Swinomish Reservation, La Conner, Washington

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Prepares for Climate Change Impacts

From changes in traditional foods to concerns of displacement from rising seas, this coastal community in the Pacific Northwest is assessing potential impacts to make decisions for their future.

A rock groyne at Atlantic Beach, New York.

Training Sessions Build Capacity for Recovery and Planning

Damage from Hurricane Sandy emphasized the need for East Coast coastal communities to prepare for future hazards and the impacts of climate change. Training sessions helped decision makers in these communities learn about and use data and tools to inform their planning efforts.

Cloudy sky over ocean and flat beach environment

Tribal Community Partners with Researchers to Monitor Food and Climate

Residents of a rural Alaska village are studying their environment to understand and protect their food. Their research partnership hires and trains students and local residents to contribute to high-quality research...and builds the capacity of the local workforce.

The lighthouse at Agate Bay, Two Harbors, Minnesota

Two Harbors: Investments in Green Infrastructure Pay Off

After devastating flooding in 1999, this Minnesota town created a stormwater management plan using green infrastructure to build resilience to future flood events.

Using a Sea Level Rise Model to Identify and Prioritize Wetlands for Conservation Acquisition

Staff at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources used the Sea Level Affecting Marshes Model (SLAMM) to identify high-priority conservation areas that allow for wetland migration and future wildlife habitat.

Aerial view of the City of Virginia Beach oceanfront

Virginia Beach Becomes Sea Level Wise

Increased flooding resulting from a combination of rising sea level and increasing annual rainfall drives an ambitious city-wide, cross-departmental study to prepare now for a climate-resilient future.

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.