Case Studies | U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit

Communities and businesses are taking action to reduce their vulnerability to climate-related impacts and to build resilience to extreme events. The stories below illustrate the application of the process and tools featured in this Toolkit. Browse the stories, or filter by topic, step to resilience, and/or region in the boxes above. To expand your results, click the Clear Filters link.

Photo of pararescueman Staff Sgt. Lopaka Mounts receiving a hug from a resident after Hurricane Ike, Sept. 13, 2008.

A Climate for Resilience

Located just inland from the Gulf Coast, the City of Houston faces an array of climate vulnerabilities: flooding, drought, tropical cyclones, and extreme heat can all affect the city's population and industries. Federal, state, municipal, and non-profit agencies combined their resources in a pilot project to plan for climate resilience.

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 Climate Ready Water Utilities program to consider its adaptation options.

Santa Ana winds carried a fire across Camp Pendleton's Las Pulgas area on September 28, 2005. The brush fire consumed 1,250 acres of the base's open land.

Watching for Wind: An Effort to Get the Upper Hand on Wildfire

After Santa Ana winds contributed to devastating wildfires in 2007, San Diego Gas & Electric worked with partners to monitor threats posed by the wind.

Panini Bay Restaurant in Tuckerton, New Jersey

Waterfront Restaurant Rebuilds to Remain Open Through Future Storms

Property owners in New Jersey can check their vulnerability to sea level rise and storm surge using an interactive mapping tool—the NJ Flood Mapper. Here's how one restaurant owner used results from the tool in his long-term planning.

State Highway Administration Catalogs Vulnerabilities

Through the innovative use of a collection of tools, Maryland has begun identifying which of its roads and bridges are vulnerable to climate-related events.

Wind-Resistant Construction Key to Rebuilding for Resilience

After most of the city was flattened by a tornado, Joplin, Missouri’s Mercy Hospital built a new facility, incorporating features to reinforce its resistance to wind.

Retrofitting a Children's Hospital with a Hurricane-Resistant Shell

After conducting an assessment that showed their building’s vulnerability to wind damage, the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami looked for a way to improve safety for patients and staff.

Photo of Long Island City, Queens, New York City

Working Together to Keep the Lights on in New York City

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Con Edison examined the future vulnerability of electrical infrastructure. Based on the results, they took action to increase their resilience.

Exterior rendering of the proposed Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care Center

After Katrina, Health Care Facility's Infrastructure Planned to Withstand Future Flooding

After catastrophic flooding in New Orleans destroyed two hospitals, the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is planning a replacement facility that will incorporate resilience against future extreme events.

Photo of tornado damage in Greensburg, Kansas

Following a Devastating Tornado, Town and Hospital Rebuild to Harness Wind Energy

After 90 percent of the town was damaged or destroyed by a tornado, Greensburg, Kansas, and Kiowa County Memorial Hospital developed a Long-Term Community Recovery plan to rebuild for resilience.

Increasing Transportation Resilience in the Gulf Coast

A federal study assessed vulnerabilities of transportation infrastructure to extreme events in Mobile, Alabama. The effort also resulted in tools and approaches that other transportation departments can use to assess and address their own vulnerabilities.

Photo of plume of smoke is seen rising from the North Fork fire in Jefferson County, Colorado

Health Care Facilities Maintain Indoor Air Quality Through Smoke and Wildfires

When smoke from wildfires swirls around health care facilities, prepared hospitals in California and Colorado use air quality tools to keep the indoor environment safe for patients and staff.

A rock groyne at Atlantic Beach, New York.

Training Sessions Build Capacity for Recovery and Planning

Damage from Hurricane Sandy emphasized the need for East Coast coastal communities to prepare for future hazards and the impacts of climate change. Training sessions helped decision makers in these communities learn about and use data and tools to inform their planning efforts.