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What the data says about disaster threats in non-metropolitan counties

One of my earliest disaster-related memories is a tornado in 1990 that destroyed Petersburg, Indiana. Petersburg is a small place, just a couple thousand people, in a region made up entirely of small places. The EF-4 tornado ripped through the town in just a few minutes, destroying a nursing home, apartment complex, elementary school, two dozen businesses and nearly 200 homes. Four people lost their lives.

ReImagine Appalachia and the Central Appalachian Network (CAN) hosted a recorded discussion about Floyd County and its innovative solutions to mounting hardships. Floyd County has faced devastating flooding and an economic downturn from a dwindling coal industry. But residents aren't backing down. Instead, they're focusing on economic growth and innovation as part of their resilience plan. Floyd County is also a case study for a uniquely Appalachian approach to resilience. They’ve been mapping former coal assets for future development to bring construction out of the flood plains and onto higher ground. They’ve also worked towards building a community resilience hub to provide for impacted residents and to form a cornerstone for information exchange and innovation around uniquely Appalachian resilience strategies.

https://youtu.be/aOZPwuowSTc?si=GghL27D3z4QeLUwi

Climate.us will be a nonprofit successor to Climate.gov, delivering climate data and information to promote public climate literacy and to equip people to turn knowledge into meaningful conversations and climate-conscious actions. At a moment when critical climate information is being deleted or distorted, we are stepping up to rescue key climate resources—including the U.S. Global Change Research Program's now-deleted Fifth National Climate Assessment—and to ensure the public has continued easy access to the facts. Our goal is to build an enduring, independent, and scientifically rigorous platform that the world can rely on for climate communication, education, and engagement.

Proactive planning can prepare communities for growing risks.

When it comes to cybersecurity, no preventative measure is too small. Malicious cyber actors target poorly secured networks with outdated software, and even something as quick as signing up for cybersecurity alerts can make a difference. The following federal agencies and organizations offer resources that can help critical infrastructure asset owners and operators prepare, prevent, and respond to cyberattacks.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
EPA offers online resources that can enhance your cybersecurity practices, including tools for developing risk assessments, response plans, and more. You can also explore various funding options to help support cyber resilience for water systems of all sizes.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
If you encounter a threat or cyberattack, it's important to document it through the CISA Incident Reporting System, a secure platform for system operators to submit cyber incidents and receive timely assistance. You can al

The U.S. Census Bureau released version 4.26.1 of OnTheMap for Emergency Management. Version 4.26.1 updates American Community Survey tabulations to the 2020-2024 5-year estimates and Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES) data to 2023.

OnTheMap for Emergency Management provides real-time access to a range of detailed Census Bureau data about the people living and working in areas affected by hurricanes, floods, wildfires, winter storms, and federal disaster declaration areas.

Explore OnTheMap for Emergency Management data tool and Census Bureau help and documentation resources.

Reimagine Applachia's new resource page tracks information on protecting and leveraging federal climate and infrastructure resources for regional prosperity.

Their research is gathered in one place to show how federal investments have impacted regional jobs growth, private investment, and industrial resurgence. This repository is intended as a reference point to help build the case for why investing in the region's skill and well-being not only sparks long-term economic growth but also yields big returns.

Communities are provided flood hazard maps for managing development. Engineering models are used to generate the flood elevations used to develop the mapping. Historically, the engineering models used to develop the flood elevations were one dimensional – since the data inputs were slices (cross sections) along stream corridors. More recent engineering models are two-dimensional – in that the data inputs are grids that cover the entire surface area being mapping. 2D modeling has various levels, and the data developed at each of the levels is useful for community management of development.

Communities are routinely provided these data, from 1D and 2D models, including information on floodways, without clearly understanding the impacts or how to utilize all the data available to them. FEMA has funded

ASFPM to develop outreach materials related to floodways and 2D modeling to help communities understand the floodway and how to use 2D modeling data to better managing development.

Green Forests Work’s (GFW) mission is to reestablish healthy and productive forests on formerly mined lands in Appalachia. GFW’s vision is to create a renewable and sustainable multi-use resource that will provide economic opportunities while enhancing the local and global environment by converting reclaimed, non-native grasslands and scrublands into native forestland. Their reforestation projects provide jobs for equipment operators, nursery workers, and tree planters, and improve the environment by eradicating exotic species and restoring ecosystem services.

Since 2009, GFW has planted over 7.5 million trees on nearly 15,000 acres. To mitigate the landscape impacts of conventional mine reclamation, various combinations of site preparation are used.

Read the annual report here.

The FEMA Archived Flood Data is FEMA's primary means of disseminating administrative and technical NFIP data that are not available through self-service methods such as Mapping Information Platform (MIP) or Map Service Center (MSC).

The FEMA Archived Flood Data application allows users to make data requests for technical and administrative data supporting regulatory and non-regulatory mapping products, developed to support the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

The U.S. Geological Survey has a mobile tool that provides real-time information on water levels, weather, and flood forecasts all in one place.

The USGS National Water Dashboard will help inform forecasting, response, and recovery efforts for agencies such as the National Weather Service, FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other federal, state and local agencies.

The ​​​​​​Abandoned Mine Lan​​ds Economic Revitalizatio​n ​(AMLER) Program is an opportunity for Appalachian communities to achieve economic and community development goals in areas that have​ been impacted by the downturn of coal production. Specifically, AMLER funds may be utilized to design, develop, and create projects which encourage economic development.