Tools | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

Tools are available to help you manage your climate-related risks and opportunities, and to help guide you in building resilience to extreme events. Browse the list below, or filter by topic and/or tool functionality in the boxes above. To expand your results, click the Clear Filters link.

Adaptation Workbook

Land managers, natural resource professionals, and motivated landowners can use this structured process to consider the effects of climate change on forests, urban forests, and agricultural properties.

Adapting Stormwater Management for Coastal Floods

Community members can explore how past and future flooding can affect their stormwater systems and generate a report to inform planning efforts.

AdaptMap Jamaica Bay

This online mapping tool for New York's Jamaica Bay allows users to compare and contrast historical, present day, and potential future landscapes against an array of sea level and storm tide scenarios.

Advanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC)

ADCIRC is a system of computer programs for solving time dependent, free surface circulation and transport problems in two and three dimensions. These programs utilize the finite element method in space allowing the use of highly flexible, unstructured grids.

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Aquatic Connectivity Assessment and Prioritization Tool

Users in the North Atlantic—from Maine to West Virginia—can access this database and these tools to help identify bridges and culverts that impede aquatic connectivity.

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Assessing Health Vulnerability to Climate Change: A Guide for Health Departments

Health departments can consult this document for guidance on conducting climate and health vulnerability assessments.

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Being Prepared for Climate Change: A Workbook for Developing Risk-Based Adaptation Plans

Organizations that manage environmental resources can use this guide to prepare a broad, risk-based adaptation plan.

Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE) Framework

Communities can use this five-step process from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to prepare for the health effects of climate change.

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Climate Change Atlas for Tree and Bird Species

Find information about species of trees and birds in the eastern United States, including maps that show projections of where suitable (and unsuitable) habitat for these species will be in the future.

Climate Change Resource Center

Natural resource planners, land managers, and other decision makers can find usable science as well as approaches to adaptation and mitigation from the U.S. Forest Service to help them address climate change impacts.

Climate Change Response Framework

This collaborative, cross-boundary approach among scientists, managers, and landowners incorporates climate change considerations into natural resource management.

Climate Change: Ecosystem Considerations

This website is a resource for fishing industry stakeholders, researchers, and the interested public, providing an introduction to climate change science, a summary of pertinent research, and climate change impacts on the fishing industry.

Climate Explorer

Explore climate projections for any county in the contiguous United States or borough in Alaska. Compare maps of past and projected conditions for coming decades. Consult historical records to see when weather has veered outside of normal climate.

Climate Resilience Evaluation & Awareness Tool (CREAT)

Owners and operators of drinking water and wastewater utilities can use this web-based tool to assess potential climate change threats and evaluate adaption options at their sites.

Climate Smart Farming Tools

This suite of tools—which includes a growing degree day calculator, a water deficit calculator, a winter cover crop scheduler, a drought atlas, and grape/apple freeze risk tools—helps with decision making on irrigation, crop scheduling, and more.

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Coastal and Waterfront SmartGrowth

Sustainable coastal development information, tools, and case studies for planners, local government officials, developers, residents, and other stakeholders.

Coastal Change Hazards Portal

This interactive map offers access to coastal change science and data on extreme storms, shoreline change, and sea level rise.

Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper

Explore local maps to stimulate discussions about the people, places, and natural resources exposed to coastal flooding. Create a collection of maps showing risk from various hazards.

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Coastal Flood Impacts for the City of Boston

Visualize flood impacts while planning and preparing for—and responding to—current and future coastal storms in Boston, Massachusetts.

Coastal Resilience Evaluation and Siting Tool (CREST)

Planners and natural resource managers can use this web tool to make informed decisions about the siting of restoration and resilience projects.

Community-Based Climate Adaptation Toolkit

Marine managers can find resources to engage communities in their efforts to manage, protect, and restore coral reefs and reef fisheries around the world.

Image from the Handbook, courtesy of Delaware Sea Grant

Delaware Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards

Download this Handbook for a handy guide that covers everything from common myths about natural hazards to protecting your property with insurance, as well as adapting to the impacts of climate change.

Department of Defense Regional Sea Level (DRSL) Database

Engineering firms can use this database to integrate future sea level change information for DoD facilities at coastal locations.

Disease Maps

View maps displaying seasonal tracking of seven vector-borne diseases—including West Nile virus, several types of encephalitis, and Dengue Fever—in the United States. Each map provides links to background, historical, and other information for each disease.

emPOWER Map

Hospitals, first responders, electric companies, and community members can use this interactive online map to view information about Medicare beneficiaries who rely on electricity-dependent medical and assistive equipment and severe weather events that may put them at risk for power outages.

Explore Climate Impacts

This interactive map—a companion to the Adaptation Workbook—lets you see how climate change may affect different regions and ecosystems in the U.S.

Extreme Heat Prevention Guide

Individuals and communities can find information, guidance, and practical solutions relating to the health effects of extreme heat.

Fish Species Climate Vulnerability Assessment Methodology

Researchers and managers can use this methodology to develop estimates of marine fish and invertebrate species' vulnerability to a changing environment. Results can help start discussions about adaptive management strategies.

Fisheries Resilience Index

Fisheries businesses and communities can use this simple self-assessment to check if they are prepared to maintain operations during and after disasters.

Flood Resilience Checklist

Local governments, community organizations, and nonprofits can use the checklist to assess their community’s readiness to prepare for, deal with, and recover from floods.

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Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities

Water utility personnel can work through this straightforward guide to document the threat of flooding at their utilities, identify specific vulnerabilities and potential mitigation options, and develop an implementation plan to increase their resilience to flooding.