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.

Sunrise on the beach at Corolla, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Building Resilience in the OBX

In North Carolina's Outer Banks, the coastal Town of Nags Head is vulnerable to flooding from heavy rain events, hurricanes, tropical storms, nor’easters, and storm surge. To add insult to injury, vulnerability is increasing with sea level rise. Town managers and residents recognized the need to build the town's resilience and moved forward to prioritize and plan.

Developing the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community developed their hazard mitigation plan with guidance from a framework for integrating Indigenous and traditional knowledge and practices into climate adaptation planning.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 “Lowcountry” region of South Carolina faces unique vulnerabilities to climate change. Researchers engaged with this social and ecological community to determine how strong community resilience can promote adaptive capacity in light of a rapidly changing world.

Pago Pago Harbor, American Samoa with fuel tanks in foreground.

The Pacific Islands Climate Storybook

To empower community climate adaptation in the Pacific Islands, a multi-island coalition expanded upon a 2015 comprehensive template for writing climate stories and the collection of case studies. The new Storybook is a roadmap to predict, prepare, and adapt, to a changing climate.

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.