climate icon

 

Climate change poses significant risks to our nation, particularly to coastal areas prone to flooding. What man-made and natural assets might be at risk and how will we manage this risk?

 

Coastal Vulnerability

Predicted sea-level rise will cause physical changes to the coast, home to numerous communities and sensitive coastal ecosystems. The ability of our coastal communities to adapt to the impacts of sea level rise is critical to our Nation's long-term security and economic sustainability.

Population in the Coastal Floodplain

Climate change poses significant risks to our nation, particularly to coastal areas prone to flooding. Assessing the growing population within these areas provides us a better understanding of who is at risk to coastal inundation from storm surge and long-term sea level rise.

Federally-Insured Assets along the Coast

The second largest fiscal liability of the U.S. government, behind Social Security, is the National Flood Insurance Program. While insured assets in coastal areas represent only a portion of this total liability, taxpayers are currently responsible for $37 billion of insured assets in the coastal Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA).


--------

Case Study Archive:
Measuring Your Ability to Recover From a Storm: The Coastal Resilience Index
Understanding Coastal Storm Surge