1. Narratives of Climate Preparedness in a Lake Superior Coastal Community
Holly Meier
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Minnesota
Vanessa Perry
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Minnesota
Jenn Shepard
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Minnesota
Mae Davenport
Associate Professor, Forest Resources
Director, Center for Changing Landscapes
University of Minnesota
George Host
Senior Research Associate
Natural Resources Research Institute
University of Minnesota Duluth
Introduction
Findings
Discussion
Climate Change and Climate Preparedness
A growing body of evidence indicates extreme weather events in the Midwest are increasing (Melillo, Richmond, & Yohe, 2014). Coastal communities are often unprepared for extreme weather despite having already experienced its effects. In 2012,
The general shared belief among decision makers in the study area that climate change is happening and is affecting exposed, sensitive systems presents a promising platform upon which to build climate preparedness. However, the existence of challenges limits effective preparedness. We identified potential target areas to address preparedness challenges and build on existing capacities and actions:
Leverage water identity and community attachment. Indicating how the community’s attachment to place and resources may be threatened from climate change and extreme weather may increase motivation to act.
Create climate preparedness task force. A cross-sector, interagency team could promote climate preparedness in all planning processes through ordinances, resolutions, or joint powers agreements and coordinate information exchange within agencies and between organizations and the public.
Climate Change Belief
Most participants shared the belief that climate change is happening. Few participants expressed skepticism about climate change.
“I totally believe that we’ve been experiencing [climate change] for a decade at least, and it’s getting bigger and bigger and bigger.”
Perceived System Exposure
Many participants perceived their community to be an exposed system to climate change and extreme weather, largely as a result of personal experience and observation.
“I’ve been living here 25 years, and I do feel like the climate has changed since I’ve been here. I feel like the moisture patterns, the way we get snow, the way it comes our way, the temperatures. I feel like that’s a very natural assumption to make: that that’s partly impacted by climate change.”
Perceived System Sensitivity
Participants were attached to water, biological, and social and community systems and perceived them to be sensitive to regional climate change and extreme weather. Participants were concerned about impacts to these systems.
“I know that a changing climate will change the things that are growing in our forests. It will change the very nature of those forests.”
Perceived Preparedness
Multiple challenges emerged that constrain climate preparedness efforts in the participants’ community. These include the nature of climate impacts (e.g., uncertainty, conflicting timescales), low levels of perceived efficacy, lack of prioritization and coordination, limited communication and awareness, and insufficient resources and requirements.
“We still only design most of our conservation practices on a 10-year or 25-year storm. We don’t try to take in a 100-year flood type of events no matter how often they may happen.”
“Agency folks, I think they’re aware of [climate change], but at this point I haven’t seen where it’s a primary concern or a primary consideration in planning.”
Several opportunities emerged that describe actions or capacities that contribute to increased climate preparedness. These consist of improved response and recovery after the flood as well as anticipatory planning activities, including natural resource and stormwater management plan adjustments, mitigation planning, and vulnerability assessing.
“We are offering more [tree] species for sale that we would have seen a little farther south when I first started. That’s kind of the one area where we have made specific decisions and had specific discussions about climate change.”
Duluth, Minnesota, experienced an extreme precipitation and flood event that resulted in over $50 million of damage in the city. One aim of the Community Climate Readiness study was to investigate how decision makers and community members within Duluth and the surrounding
Duluth, MN
communities view potential impacts of extreme weather and climate change in order to better prepare for and adapt to future conditions.
Miller Creek and Mission Creek watersheds, Duluth, MN. (Credit: National Land Cover Dataset)
Vermilion Road in Duluth, MN, after the June 2012 flood. (Photo courtesy John Goodge)
Methods
Acknowledgments
This work is the result of research sponsored by the Minnesota Sea Grant College Program supported by the NOAA office of Sea Grant, United States Department of Commerce, under grant No. NA14ORAR
In partnership with: Natural Resources Research Institute at UMD
Transcriptions by: Bree Duever, Lexi Felix, Joseph Nowak III, Alyssa Prokott, Andrew Weeldreyer, Jenna Yanish
University of Minnesota researchers conducted 27 interviews with decision makers, resource managers, and other community stakeholders within the Mission Creek and Miller Creek watersheds.
Adapted grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2006) was used to analyze the interviews for emergent themes.
Themes were organized by climate change topic to provide meaning and context for decision makers contemplating climate change preparedness.  
References
Charmaz, K. (2006). Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Melillo, J. M., Richmond, T., & Yohe, G. W. (Eds.). (2014). Climate change impacts in the united states: The third national climate assessment. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 841.
Community Climate Preparedness Framework