Flooding and Inundation

Project Overview In the Southwestern U.S., decades of wildfire suppression, drought, and climate-drive aridification have resulted in unnatural fuel-loading across forests and grasslands. With wildfire severity and frequency on the rise, communities and ecosystems are seeing more post-fire impacts such as flooding and debris flow as well. Researchers supported by this Southwest CASC...

Project Overview Increased precipitation events and environmental damage from wildfires have resulted in more severe flooding events in the southwest. While these events have impacts across the landscape, it has had a significant impact on cultural resources within the region’s National Parks and Monuments. Wupakti National Monument in particular has experienced adverse resource impacts...

Project Overview: Hurricane Helene caused widespread damage to homes, infrastructure, and wildlife habitat in western North Carolina. Resulting disruptions to stream ecosystems have threatened species like the eastern hellbender, a fully aquatic salamander and key indicator of stream health. Scientists supported by this Southeast CASC project will compile and evaluate pre-storm habitat...

Project Overview Climate and weather hazards are increasingly impacting National Park Service infrastructure, natural and cultural resources, and visitor use in the Midwest, with projected increases in precipitation and stormflow heightening risks to park assets and public safety. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will assess infrastructure vulnerability and climate risk...

Project Overview In Alaska, winters are becoming shorter and more unpredictable, leading to changes in lake and river ice, impacting access to hunting grounds, fuel wood transportation and recreation for local communities. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will revitalize and modernize a freshwater ice observation network with a youth-centric partnership that teams...

Project Overview Wetlands along the Gulf Coast are crucial for reducing hurricane-induced flooding and as habitat for diverse wildlife, but are threatened by rising sea levels, climate change, and coastal development. Using remote sensing data, future climate data, and numerical models, researchers from this South Central CASC-supported project will collaborate with local expert groups...

Current stormwater management infrastructure and strategies in the northeastern US are built around historical weather data and not the weather that is expected with climate change, like more frequent extreme rainfall. This matters because stormwater can introduce pollution to streams and can cause flooding. Researchers supported by this Northeast CASC project will combine climate data...

Project Overview Coastal marshes in the Gulf of America host diverse ecological communities and hold Native American cultural artifacts within shell mounds (middens). However, both are vulnerable to erosion and submergence due to rising sea levels and more frequent severe storms. Researchers supported by this Southeast CASC project will develop a risk-assessment tool to evaluate the...

The US Virgin Islands are vulnerable to sea level rise, intense storms, and unpredictable rainfall brought by climate change. These changes influence the health of freshwater streams (known as “ghuts”), sedimentation, erosion and water quality (“grit”), as well as aquatic communities and ecosystems (“gills”) that are unique to the islands and important for indigenous peoples’ heritage...

Project Overview Many websites that visualize climate change data can often be confusing and misleading to decision makers when they are researching information to devise management plans for water, wildlife, and other natural resources. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will improve the ability of biologists, water managers, and other resource managers to effectively and

Project Overview Flooding in urban centers caused by increasingly severe storms has led to massive economic, social, and ecological damage. Researchers supported by this South Central CASC project will examine flood vulnerability and mitigation efforts in Harris County, Texas, currently home to the highest concentration of federally funded relocation projects in the country. The...

Project Overview Climate risks, including floods and heatwaves, impact communities in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, but gaps in data, policy, and collaboration in the region can hinder effective climate adaptation. Researchers supported by this Midwest CASC project will work with communities to identify flood-vulnerable areas, evaluate various nature-based solutions, and develop a...