Localized Climate Data: A Critical Tool for Decision-Makers

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) emphasizes the necessity of localized climate data for policymakers and highlights two free online tools provided by the NGO Climate Central to map sea-level rise and coastal flood risks across the United States and globally.

• Localized climate data is essential for decision-making because local policymakers find it difficult to take action when information is not specific to their particular location.
• Climate Central provides the Coastal Risk Screening Tool, an interactive map that enables users to analyze coastal flood and sea-level rise risks based on specific years or water levels, including various greenhouse gas pollution and flood severity scenarios.
• The Risk Finder tool complements coastal risk mapping by providing data on facilities and populations at risk within Congressional districts, counties, and states, specifically analyzing sea-level rise from one to 10 feet and assessing community social vulnerability.
• The data used by Climate Central's tools is sourced from approximately 110 databases, primarily federal agencies including NOAA, USGS, FEMA, DOT, DOE, DOI, EPA, FCC, and the U.S. Census.

APA

McGinn, A. (2020). Localized Climate Data: A Critical Tool for Decision-Makers. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/localized-climate-data-a-critical-tool-for-decision-makers

Chicago

McGinn, Anna. Localized Climate Data: A Critical Tool for Decision-Makers. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2020. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/localized-climate-data-a-critical-tool-for-decision-makers.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=McGinn |first1=Anna |title=Localized Climate Data: A Critical Tool for Decision-Makers |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=14 April 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/localized-climate-data-a-critical-tool-for-decision-makers |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mcginn2020localized, author = {McGinn, Anna}, title = {{Localized Climate Data: A Critical Tool for Decision-Makers}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/localized-climate-data-a-critical-tool-for-decision-makers}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }