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.

Analyzing Future Urban Growth and Flood Risk in North Carolina

Researchers identified areas vulnerable to urban growth in Pender County, North Carolina. The team analyzed land cover change, mapped wetlands in coastal areas, and used census and business data to determine the level of flood risk in areas with high urbanization. This has helped planners understand trends in the development growth of the county and informed local government planning regulations.

Panorama of downtown Asheville, North Carolina

Asheville Makes a Plan for Climate Resilience

This western North Carolina city is using the Steps to Resilience to proactively plan for expected climate change impacts.

City of Fayetteville’s Watershed Master Plan

In order to better assess the severity of city-wide floods and create flood mitigation solutions, Fayetteville, North Carolina’s city officials embarked on a $13 million Watershed Master Plan program in 2019.

Viewing data in the control room of Tampa Bay Water.

Climate Outlooks Help Water Supply Planning

When water utility personnel recognized their groundwater withdrawals were damaging ecosystems in the Tampa Bay area, they found new ways to reduce their dependence on it.

Barron Collier Bridge from Laishley Park in Punta Gorda, Florida

Developing and Using an Index to Guide Water Supply Decisions

It's not easy to keep faucets flowing year-round in southwest Florida. To make sure their customers can get ample clean water at a good price—even through dry seasons—water utility managers crafted a useful index to help them decide which water sources to use.

muddy lake bottom with stream running through it

Drought in the ACF River Basin

Explore the historical context of drought in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Basin, a primer on how water resources are managed there, and a look ahead to the future.

A water reservoir that is mostly dry due to drought.

Drought Response and Recovery Project for Water Utilities in Hogansville, GA

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 Hogansville, GA.

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.

Promoting Ecotourism to Conserve a Watershed in Virginia

Realizing the Lower Chickahominy Watershed would one day be at risk of development for economic gain, the coastal planner with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program decided to be proactive in exploring ideas for conserving this resource.

Man strolls along the shoreline of a National Wildlife Refuge scattered with trees that have been effected by saltwater intrusion.

South Carolina’s Lowcountry Prepares for Changing Global Conditions

The coastal plain of South Carolina, known as the Lowcountry, was used to study the role of local conservation groups and broad stakeholder engagement in the process of adaptation planning for coastal ecosystems. This region, rich in cultural heritage and abounding with valuable ecosystem services, has seen impacts caused by urban sprawl, booming tourism, and a strained infrastructure network. Therefore, this area is not only vulnerable to climate change, but also subject to economic, political and social forces.