StormSmart Coasts Daniella Hirschfeld NOAA CSC Coastal Management Fellow Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Helping coastal communities cope with floods, storms, sea level rise, and climate change Implementation – Pilot Projects and Transferable Knowledge 12 March 2009
StormSmart Coasts Daniella Hirschfeld (617) NOAA CSC Coastal Management Fellow Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management This presentation summarizes the contents of the StormSmart Coasts website ( and highlights the current implementation projects. For further information please refer to the website or contact the project manager Daniella Hirschfeld.
Overview StormSmart Coasts – The Basics Implementation – The Five Projects Transferability – Networks & Workshops The Future – StormSmart Coasts
Massachusetts is currently facing serious problems along its coastline. By addressing these concerns we will be able to make our coastal communities more resilient and thus more prepared for sea level rise.
Cost of repeat of 1938 Hurricane today? 1938
StormSmar t Coasts
sea level rise/climate change flooding storms Goal: Help Communities To Better Manage And Cope With: erosion
Our website provides a single site for local officials working in coastal communities to find current and relevant resources.
Local NGOs But putting solutions on-line isn’t enough if nobody finds them CZM FEMA National NGOs NOAA StormSmart Coasts gathers the information locals need... Everybody has a website...
CZM NOAA Local NGOs FEMA National NGOs... and provides links so users can tap into outside resources We help everybody find resources
No Adverse Impacts (NAI) Hazard Identification Planning Regulations and Development Standards Infrastructure Education and Outreach Emergency Services Mitigation and Shore Protection
Options
Implementation – The Five Projects StormSmart Coasts
Boston Hull Duxbury Kingston & Plymouth Falmouth Oak Bluffs
Boston Sea Level Rise Overlay District Mapping Increased understanding of the impacts Urban building guidelines
Hull Improved understanding of the accuracy LIDAR data Visualization of Sea Level Rise Increasing the buy in of other boards Connect with Community Rating System Densely developed
Duxbury, Kingston & Plymouth Education and Outreach –No Adverse Impacts –Low Impact Development Barrier beach dynamics Cross town collaboration
Falmouth Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan incorporating sea level rise Post disaster planning Sparsely developed
Oak Bluffs Model floodplain management by-law Incorporation of NAI into legal framework
Transferability – Networks & Workshops
Regional website Town pages Coastal advisory group
Transferability – Networks & Workshops Present at current meetings Host post project regional events
The Future – StormSmart Coasts
Hazard Areas Identified
and flooding ^ Improved By-Laws
Improved Development Standards
StormSmart Coasts Daniella Hirschfeld NOAA CSC Coastal Management Fellow Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management Helping coastal communities cope with floods, storms, sea level rise, and climate change 2008 AMWS Annual Meeting