Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning Initiatives

The briefing describes the development and application of a customized vulnerability assessment and inundation mapping tool for New York's Great Lakes region. It emphasizes the importance of using 'weather trends' rather than 'climate change' terminology to engage local officials and highlights a case study in the village of Sodus Point where participatory workshops led to specific resiliency actions, such as new communication strategies and the investigation of the Coastal Erosion Hazard Act.

• Local community planners and officials in the Great Lakes region were more receptive to discussing 'weather trends' than 'climate change' or 'resiliency' when beginning adaptation planning.
• A customized vulnerability assessment was developed to address specific regional concerns, including coastal flooding, flash flooding from precipitation or ice jams, ice storms, blizzards, and wind storms.
• The vulnerability assessment utilizes benchmarks based on historical regional events and 'credible worst-case scenarios' that are at least 50 percent more severe than the benchmark to help communities plan for intensified impacts.
• A Lake Ontario inundation mapping tool was created using LiDAR and parcel data, allowing communities to visualize flood risks at specific elevations, such as the record high water level of 249 feet reached in 2017.
• A 2017 flood survey conducted with Cornell University documented severe impacts from a record flood that lasted approximately three months, including residential inundation and shoreline management structure damage.
• In the village of Sodus Point, a participatory process combining the vulnerability assessment and inundation mapping led to the creation of a communication strategy for 'responsible tourism' during floods and the evaluation of the Coastal Erosion Hazard Act.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning Initiatives. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041720.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning Initiatives. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041720.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning Initiatives |date=April 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041720.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020weather, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Weather and Social Data to Inform Participatory Planning Initiatives}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041720.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }