As climate change’s effects intensify and become more frequent, it becomes crucial to design infrastructure projects considering their location and present and future conditions.
Data from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information shows that in 2023, the United States sustained 28 weather/climate disasters, with losses exceeding $1 billion each.
These events included one drought event, four flooding events, 19 severe storm events, two tropical cyclone events, one wildfire event, and one winter storm event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 492 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted.
Although the US has implemented climate adaptation measures, these efforts were not enough to put them on track to meet their climate goals, according to the 5th National Climate Assessment released in November 2023 by the US Global Change Research Program.
Climate change events like rising sea levels, heavier rains, shifts in rainfall patterns, droughts, and extreme flooding have already profoundly impacted industries and communities. These disasters are not just statistics but real-life situations that demand immediate attention and action.
The US Global Change Research Program offers two indispensable mapping tools – The NCA Interactive Atlas and the Climate Mapping for Resilience & Adaptation. These tools, meticulously designed to help engineers navigate the challenges of climate change, are a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing you with the most comprehensive and effective resources for your projects.
The first tool, the Interactive Atlas, enables users to drill down to the county level to view climate projections and sea-level rise maps. It aims “to help Americans anticipate how changing climate conditions might affect their homes and businesses; the United States Global Change Research Program conducts a comprehensive review of scientific information on climate trends and impacts in our country every four years.”
For example, knowing how much rain is projected at a specific time of the year can help engineers design a stormwater or sewer system to accommodate the volume of water.
The second tool, the CMRA, helps people assess their local exposure to climate-related hazards. It provides information on real-time hazards (extreme heat, drought, wildfire, flooding, and coastal inundation), past exposures and future exposure to hazards anywhere on the map, and the federal programs, funding opportunities, and other resources to support climate resilience planning for these issues. CMRA includes data from the National Risk Index, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters, and funding resources.
According to ASCE, the power of the tools lies in their ability to help visualize spatial and temporal components. These tools will help engineers design structures and infrastructure that meet the needs of the new climate realities and avoid damage from extreme events.
For example, intense heat waves have caused train rails to buckle and streets to warp. Agriculture and local water systems must also adapt to more rain and droughts.
Source:
Jen, B. (2024, January 30). Climate tools map hazards into the future. ASCE. Retrieved from https://www.asce.org/publications-and-news/civil-engineering-source/civil-engineering-magazine/article/2024/01/climate-tools-map-hazards-into-the-future
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024). https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/, DOI: 10.25921/stkw-7w73
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