Digital Coast Fellowship

2018-2020 Project Summaries

Coastal States Organization: Alexis Cunningham, from the University of Delaware and nominated by Delaware Sea Grant, was matched with the Coastal States Organization to lead efforts in promoting and improving the Community Rating System (CRS) in collaboration with the Association of State Floodplain Managers. The CRS is a voluntary FEMA program that incentivizes communities to reduce flood risk through mitigation activities, offering lower flood insurance rates. Alexis assessed socioeconomic impacts in coastal counties and identified barriers to CRS participation, including inadequate resources, federal support, and interagency coordination. Her research culminated in policy recommendations and a policy analysis report aimed at national agencies, state and local governments, and NGOs, providing insights to enhance CRS implementation and overall flood mitigation efforts for communities.

National Association of Counties: Shanna Williamson, from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and nominated by Virginia Sea Grant, was matched with the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C., to enhance the long-term resilience of coastal counties in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Shanna's project focused on three main goals: assessing county hazard mitigation and comprehensive plans to understand current mitigation efforts, calculating the return on investment for selected mitigation initiatives to demonstrate their local value, and creating a communication tool for counties to showcase their resilience efforts and economic benefits at various governmental levels. Her final product includes a webinar and report detailing key findings, which counties can use to highlight their resilience initiatives and the economic returns on these efforts.

National States Geographic Information Council: Richard Buzard, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and nominated by Alaska Sea Grant, was matched with the National States Geographic Information Council to aid rural Alaskan coastal communities in understanding flood impacts and responding to coastal storms. Collaborating with the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and various stakeholders, Richard defined flood risk categories for remote coastal communities lacking formal flood analysis. He collected data on past flood events, estimated flood heights using geospatial techniques, and assessed the current flood risk to infrastructure. Richard published methods for estimating coastal flood heights in Alaskan communities and developed storm histories and flood risk maps for Golovin and Hooper Bay. These maps categorize flood risk zones as minor, moderate, or major. He also developed an online tool for visualizing flood risk and sharing flood photos, aimed at helping residents, weather forecasters, and planners better understand and communicate flood risks.