Disaster-Resilient Design Concepts February 2023


Publication No. 230K22001
February 2023

www.epa.gov/smartgrowth

DISASTER-RESILIENT
DESIGN CONCEPTS

Office of Policy, Office of the Administrator

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Cover

Map: Hurricane paths between 1842-2022 and counties most at risk for all natural hazards: avalanche, coastal
flooding, cold wave, drought, earthquake, hail, heat wave, hurricane, ice storm, landslide, lightning, riverine
flooding, strong wind, tornado, tsunami, volcanic activity, wildfire, winter weather.

Hurricane Paths between 1842-2022

	Category 2-5

National Risk Index Rating
All Natural Hazards

High Risk

Moderate Risk

Data taken from: Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA); National Centers for Environmental
Information (NCEI); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Department of
Commerce; U.S. Census Bureau; Esri; Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Basemap: Esri; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); NOAA

Data for Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and U.S. Virgin Islands are limited
and included in this report as footnotes, where available.

Data used to assess the Risk Index Rating for all the hazards shown in this document were taken from FEMA.

The National Risk Index Rating is defined as the potential for negative impacts as a result of a natural hazard,
where Expected Annual Loss from natural hazards, Social Vulnerability and Community Resilience are
factored in to produce a Risk Index Rating.

For more in-depth information about the Index, scores, ratings, and technical documentation,
visit: https://hazards.fema.sov/nri/determinins-risk

2

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Abby Hall, Office of Policy
Clark Wilson, Office of Water

REVIEW TEAM

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service

Federal Emergency Management Agency: Bradley Dean, Joshua Ghaffari, Josh Human
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Burton Suedel
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Community Revitalization

Office of Water, Robyn DeYoung, Matt King, Robert Goo, Ellie Flaherty, Michael Craghan

Office of Air and Radiation, Heat Island Reduction Program: Victoria Ludwig

Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations: Jamie Piziali

Office of Land and Emergency Management: Ann Carroll

Office of Research and Development: Jason Bernagros (former)

Region 5 Water Divison: Kate Johnson

Region 6 Water Divison: Suzanna Perea

DESIGN TEAM

SPACKMAN MOSSOP MICHAELS

Wes Michaels, Principal
Emily Bullock, Principal
TraceyArmitage, Manager
Pilar Zuluaga, Designer
Sophie Flinner, Designer

BIOHABITATS

Jennifer Dowdell, Senior Landscape Ecological Planner
Kevin Nunnery, Senior Ecologist
Jessica Norris, Conservation Biologist
Ted Brown, Practice Leader

Hanna Harper, GIS Analyst and Environmental Scientist

3

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION	

1.	WILDFIRE	

2.	HURRICANE and COASTAL FLOODING

3.	INLAND and RIVERINE FLOODING	

4.	EXTREME HEAT	

5.	DROUGHT	

6.	LANDSLIDE and MUDSLIDE	

7.	TORNADO and EARTHQUAKE	

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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INTRODUCTION

The potential for disaster increases as communities expand into hazard-prone areas and climate
change alters the frequency, severity, and locations of threats. These disaster-resilient designs
showcased in this document can help communities reduce the impact of disasters, recover more
quickly, strengthen local economies, and create safer, more equitable places to live by reducing
hazards especially for those most vulnerable. This document includes design concepts for seven
different hazards and shows how local features and actions could be integrated into a strategy that
improves disaster resiliency. This document also explains how communities can experience a
layering or synergy among different hazards—for instance, drought can contribute to wildfire, after
which erosion and flooding can occur in the same area.

The strategies presented here include policies such as forest management and building codes that can
be key to protecting life and property from natural disasters. Designs found here were adapted from
community assistance provided by EPA's Office of Community Revitalization through its Greening
America's Communities program and focus more on landscape-based investments that mitigate
hazards and increase outdoor benefits for the community. These design examples are intended to
inspire a range of stakeholders to come together and invest in projects and infrastructure that achieve
multiple benefits. Community members and decision makers alike are encouraged to evaluate both
present risk and those influenced by continued climate change—and to take action appropriate to
their area.

Stakeholders can use this document to reimagine the design of a town or neighborhood to serve
multiple purposes and needs. For instance, adding trees to a playground can both make the
playground more pleasant and help lower ambient heat in the surrounding neighborhood. Widening
stream channels with natural buffers can provide more capacity for flood waters to flow while also
creating space for a new hiking trail. Multi-benefit designs allow for recreation, create buffers for
natural disasters, and become safe gathering places when disaster strikes.

The public and private entities that invest in resilient infrastructure should carefully consider
which communities most need these investments based on historical disadvantages and greatest
current and projected exposure to hazards. The maps provided here illustrate the extent of the risks
already observed from historical data; climate change is expected to amplify these hazard risks and to
further impact poor and vulnerable communities at disproportionate rates.1

Furthermore, the designs developed for a specific place must be created by and for the
communities they are intended to protect through meaningful engagement. These design ideas
are meant to be within certain conditions; communities are encouraged to learn more about what
hazards they may be at risk for, but also explore climate change pressures that can increase frequency,
severity and reach of these hazards. Data that is accessible and understandable by all stakeholders
is key to successful engagement, and a good start are the resources available at https://resilience.
climate.gov and https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice Disaster-Resilient Community Designs
can spark discussion and action to building a more just and resilient future by giving communities
strategies that can help them thrive in a changing climate.

More detailed policy guides and planning resources are provided in the Resources section of each
chapter and the Additional Resources section at the end of this document.

1 EPA. 2021. Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts. EPA430-R-21-003. https://www.eDa.gov/cira/social-vulnerabilitv-reDort

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T

DISASTER TYPE

WILDFIRE

Risk Index Rating
Wildfire

High Risk

Moderate to
Severe Wildfire
between
2003-2022

Climate change is driving an increase in the risk and extent of wildfires in
the United States. Projected warmer temperatures and drier conditions
will make fires more frequent, larger, and harder to contain.

Changing climate patterns of increased drought, high air temperatures,
low relative humidity, lightning, and strong winds throughout
the United States have been the catalysis for an on-going crisis of
catastrophic wildfires. According to the 2022 Synthesis of Wildfire
Crisis Strategy Roundtable Report developed jointly by the National
Forest Foundation and the USDA, Forest Service, climate change along
with "overgrown forests, population growth in forested areas, and past
management practices" have driven this alarming trend.2 Smoke from
wildfires greatly impairs air quality, often to hazardous levels, in areas
far beyond the places that are burned. Climate change, added to years
of fire suppression, creates ideal conditions for wildfires: increased
drought, high air temperatures, low relative humidity, lightning, and
strong winds. The result is hotter, more widespread, and longer fire
seasons.

RESOURCES

• EPA Wildfire Preparedness https://www.epa.gov/natural-
disasters/wildfires

• EPA Smart Growth Fixes for Climate Change Adaptation and
Resilience https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-
fixes-climate-adaptation-and-resilience

• First Street Foundation Risk Factor Tool https://riskfactor.com/

• Resilience Strategies for Wildfire https:/7www.c2es.org/
document/resilience-strategies-for-wildfire/

Wildfire locations from 2003-2022, and counties most at risk for wildfire

Increased development into wildland areas puts more homes and other
buildings at risk from catastrophic fires that can endanger or destroy
communities. It is estimated that the damage caused by U.S. wildfires in
2020 totaled $16.5 billion, ranldng it as the third-costliestyear on record,
behind 2018 ($24 billion) and 2017 ($18 billion). At least 43 people died
as a direct result of the western U.S. fires in 2020.3 It is estimated that
wildfire smoke is likely responsible for 5,000 to 15,000 deaths in an
average year in the United States.4

Reduce Wildfire Risk https://wildfirerisk.org/reduce-rislc/

Managing the Wildland Urban Interface https://www. usfa.
fema.gov/wui/

National Fire Protection Association https://www. nfpa.org/

Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-

USA

2 Synthesis of Wildfire Crisis Roundtables 2022, National Forest Foundation. 2022. https://www.nationalforests.org/assets/pdfs/Wildflre-Crisis-Strategv-Roundtables-Svnthesis-Report-2022-web.pdf

3 NOAA. "2020 U.S. billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in historical context." https: //www.climate.gov/disasters2020. Published January 8,2021.

NOAA. "U. S. billion-dollar Weather & Climate Disasters 1980-2022." https://www.ncei.noaa.Bov/access/billions/events.pdf. Accessed December 12, 2022.

4 Stanford University Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR). "Managing the growing cost of wildfire." https://siepr.stanford.edu/publications/policv-brief/inanaging-growing-cost-wildfire. Published October 2020.

Insufficient data for U.S. territories and commonwealths. Puerto Rico and the Pacific Territories experience a significant wildfire risk.

Data taken from: FEMA, Wildland Fire Interagency Geospatial Services (WFIGS), U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Census Bureau, Esri; Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence^
Agency. Basemap: Esri, USGS, NOAA

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KEY STRATEGIES

WILDFIRE

PREPARE FIRE-SMART HOMES

• Clean and maintain
! gutters and roofs

* Keep grass below 4 in."

! • Add non-combustible

screens to external vents

• Prune trees

Relocate propane tanks and
lumber away from home

Clean under deck *

MAINTAIN FIRE

BREAKS

? Trail

* Native planting

30 ft. min.

Fire-smart homes reduce the risk of damage
to houses and the spread of fire through a
neighborhood.

Expand defensible space with protective barriers such as
hardscaping and, in some cases, plants carefully selected and
maintained for climate resilience and relative fire resistance.
Consult state or local emergency management for landscape
recommendations for compatible plant choices.6

5 National Fire Protection Association. "Preparing homes for wildfire." https://www.nfDa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire. Accessed December 5, 2022.

6 California Office of Emergency Services. "Prepare for Wildfire - Defensible Space." https://www.readvforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-readv/defensible-space/. Accessed December 12,2022 and Califor-
nia Office of Emergency Services. "Prepare for Wildfire - Fire Smart Landscaping." https://www.readvforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/get-readv/fire-smart-landscaping/. Accessed December 12,2022.

7 The Three It's of Defensible Space" - https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3 020876.pdf

University of Nevada, Reno (Cooperative Extension and Agricultural Experiment Station), the Sierra Front Wildfire Gooperators and the Pacific Northwest Prevention Working Team, "Living with Fire: A Guide for 7
the Homeowner," https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3 020876.pdf. May 1999.

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T

DISASTER TYPE

HURRICANE and COASTAL FLOODING

Counties most at risk for hurricanes and coastal flooding, and hurricane paths

2022

As coastal flooding increases, there will be an ever-greater
need for coastal communities to adapt to the increasing
occurrence of coastal floods, higher tides as sea levels rise,
storm surges, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion.
Nature-based solutions—such as dune restoration, open
space buffers, oyster beds, mangrove forests, or creating blue-
green trails that can take on water during a storm—can help
protect communities from hurricanes and coastal floods.

RESOURCES

• EPA Climate Ready Estuaries https://www.epa.gov/cre

• EPA Smart Growth Fixes for Climate Change Adaptation and
Resilience https: //www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-
fixes-climate-adaptation-and-resilience

• First Street Foundation Risk Factor Tool https://riskfactor.
com/

Hurricane Paths
between 1842-2022

Category 2-5

Risk Index Rating
Hurricanes

High Risk
Moderate Risk

Risk Index Rating
Coastal Flooding

H3 High- Moderate ai<

ccoraing to the National Hurricane Center, approximately
24 million people along the East and Gulf coasts are at risk from
storm surge flooding.8

Other strategies can complement nature-based solutions,
such as stronger building codes to reduce repetitive damage
from hurricanes and flooding, outlining clear evacuation
routes during storms, and providing emergency shelter after
storms. At the planning level, preventing new development in
flood-prone areas is a critical long-term strategy to minimize
loss of life and property damage in coastal communities.

Climate Change Indicators https://www.epa.gov/climate-
indicators/climate-change-indicators-coastal-flooding

U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit https://toollcit.climate.gov

NOAA Coastal Inundation Toolkit https://climatechange.lta.
org/coastal-inundation-toolkit/

NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer

https://coast, noaa. gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html

Flood Resilience Checklist https://www.epa.gov/
smartgrowth/flood-resilience-checklist

8 Zachry, B. C., W. J. Booth, J. R. Rhome, andT. M. Sharon, 2015: A National View of Storm Surge Risk and Inundation. Weather, Climate, and Society, 7(2), 109-117. DPI: https://iournals.ametsoc.org/view/iournals/
wcas/7/2/wcas-d-14-00049 l.xml

Insufficient data for U.S. territories and commonwealths. These territories experience a significant risk of hurricanes and coastal flooding.

Data taken from: FEMA, NCEI, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Esri; Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Basemap: Esri,

uses

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: KEY STRATEGIES

/A HURRICANE and COASTAL FLOODING

Dunes can have many
different layers, all working
together to protect from
storm surge.

PROTECT AND
RESTORE DUNES

• Primary
! dune

I
I

* Secondary
;	! dune

* Tertiary
! dune

f Trail

• Prevent invasive
i species in
i waterways

INTEGRATE WATER-LAND
FEATURES

Dunes that are stabilized by native vegetation
protect nearby communities from storm
surges.

A watershed approach of multi-use functions
such as trails in a flooding buffer provides
health benefits to both ecosystem and
residents

MARSH RESTORATION

REMOVE TIDAL
RESTRICTIONS

LIVING SHORELINE

RESTORATION

LIMIT BUILDING IN

FLOOD-PRONE AREAS

Resilience hubs can
serve people during
and after hurricanes.

Marshes build
land over time.

Use natural materials to
protect fragile coastlines

Prioritize equity and minimize
displacement when considering
conserving open space through
buy-back of properties in flood-
prone areas.

Maintain evacuation
routes that do not flood

Data taken from: Charleston County, SC GIS viewer

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T

DISASTER TYPE

INLAND and RIVERINE FLOODING

Counties most at risk for riverine flooding and 1% annual chance flood hazard area

>-.(Y

Special Flood
Hazard Area
(SFHA)

1% annual

chance

Risk Index Rating
Riverine Flooding
High Risk

River Systems

CI mate change is causing more frequent and higher intensity
rainstorms, which often result in increased flooding.

Climate change is creating new rainfall patterns across the
country. Communities that historically have not had many
major flood events are likely to see more, and places that
already flood are likely to experience worse and more frequent
flooding. New construction or infrastructure in the region—
such as a new highway that changes the local drainage
patterns- can further increase the likelihood of flooding.

One of the best ways to reduce the risk of flood is to improve
the entire watershed's ability to quickly soak up water
and prevent runoff of pollutants downstream. Increasing
opportunities for infiltration helps to reduce or prevent larger
floods downstream. Parks and public plazas can be designed
with green infrastructure practices such as bioswales, rain
gardens, and tree planting, and can offer recreational areas,
store flood water, and reduce air temperature. "Green street"
practices that include green infrastructure elements in the
public right-of-way can reduce the impacts of intense storms
by lessening the amount of runoff and slowing down the
rate of flow, while also making streets more attractive and
enjoyable.

RESOURCES

• EPA: Enhancing Sustainable Communities with Green
Infrastructure https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/enhancing-
sustainable-communities-green-infrastructure

• First Street Foundation Risk Factor Tool https://riskfactor com

• EPA Tidal Restrictions Synthesis Review https://www.epa.gov/
wetlands/tidal-restrictions-synthesis-review

• EPA Climate Change Indicators: River Flooding https://www.
epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-river-
flooding

• EPA Manage Flood Risk with Green Infrastructure https://
www.epa.gov/green-inlfastructure/manage-flood-risk

• EPA Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United
States: A Focus on Six Impacts https://www.epa.gov/cira/
social-vulnerability-report

• EPA City Green: Innovative Green Infrastructure Solutions
for Downtowns and Infill Locations https://www.epa.gov/
smartgrowth/city-green-innovative-green-infrastructure-
solutions-downtowns-and-infill-locations

Insufficient data for U.S. territories and commonwealths. These territories experience a significant risk of inland and riverine flooding.

Data taken from: EEMA, USGS, Esri; Rand McNally; Bartholernew and Times Books; Digital Chart of the World (DCW); U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; i-cubed,
U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Esri; Garmin International, Inc,| U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Basemap: Esri, USGS, NOAA

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C V7 KEY STRATEGIES

INLAND and RIVERINE FLOODING

CREATE HEALTHY STREAMS

Use vegetated stream buffers to slow water
during storm events, lowering downstream
flood risk.

INCORPORATE GREEN
INFRASTRUCTURE ON SITE

In developed areas, bioswales, rain gardens, and tree
canopies help reduce runoff, which lessens flooding.

* Green
! parking lot

I
I
I

• Bump-out
j ! rain garden

* Plants adapted
! to current and
i projected climate
| conditions
! absorb rain and
; groundwater.9

* Green roof * Rain garden

? Trail

• Stream channel connected
! to the flood plain

WATER PLAZA

* Bioswale

* Cisterns for water
! storage/usage

* Splash
! pad

Building play and recreational areas that store rain
helps reduce flooding in the neighborhood.

STORMWATER

MANAGEMENT ORDINANCES

REDUCTION OF
IMPERVIOUS SURF
REDUCES RUNOFF

RESTORATION OF
NATURAL FLOOD PLAINS

Include volumetric performance
codes or other numeric standards
for onsite stormwater retention.

Incorporate stormwater
management into local
building and zoning codes.

Green surfaces
reduce runoff.

Create ordinances that
protect flood plains.

9 "Non-native, Non-invasive and Fire-resistant Landscaping Plants for Around Homes," USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. July 2008. https://cemendocino.ucarir.edu/files/17260.pdf.
WCAS-D-14-00049.1

Data taken from: Lake County, IL GIS viewer

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A relative increase in high temperatures is designated as an
extreme heat hazard, or heat wave if conditions persist over
many days. The threshold varies by location; as an example,
unusually high summer temperatures in Boston would not be
exceptional in Phoenix.

Developed areas—places with a lot of pavement, buildings,
and other heat-absorbing surfaces and fewer green spaces
and trees—have higher temperatures than surrounding, less-
developed areas. This phenomenon is called the heat island
effect. Given the increase in extreme heat events, people-
especially people living in lower-income communities—are
at higher risk of excessive heat exposure, which can cause
severe illness and death. The use of green infrastructure
=practices such as trees, rain gardens, green roofs, green
spaces such as parks, and reflective or light-colored, permeable
pavements can reduce air temperatures while making
neighborhoods more attractive.

10 Climate Change and Extreme Heat: What You Can Do to Prepare, EPA and CDC, 2016.

RESOURCES

• National Integrated Heat Health Information System

https://www.heat.gov

• EPA Heat Island Compendium https://www, epa.gov/
heatislands/heat-island-compendium

• EPA Adapting to Heat https://www, epa. gov/heatislands/
adapting-heat

• EPA/CDC Climate Change and Extreme Heat: What You
Can Do to Prepare, October 2016 https://toolkit.climate.gov/
reports/climate-change-and-extreme-heat-what-you-can-do-
prepare

• EPA Reduce Urban Heat Island Effect https://www.epa.gov/
green-infrastructure/reduce-urban-heat-island-effect

• EPA Heat Island Cooling Strategies https://www.epa.gov/
heatislands/heat-island-cooling-strategies

• EPA Smart Growth Fixes for Climate Change Adaptation and
Resilience https://www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/smart-growth-
ftxes-climate-adaptation-and-resilience

• EPA Enhancing Sustainable Communities with Green
Infrastructure https://www, epa.gov/smartgrowth/enhancing-
sustainable-communities-green-infrastructure

Insufficient data for U.S. territories and commonwealths. These territories experience significant risk of extreme heat.

Data taken from: EEMA, Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Esri;
Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Basemap: Esri, USGS, NOAA

fA DISASTER TYPE

{p EXTREME HEAT

events

H ^ -V// ^;

Risk Index Rating
Heat Wave

High Risk

Urban Heat
Island

Annualized

Frequency

(2005-2017)

Extreme heat events and heat waves, which kill more than 1,000
people each year in the United States, are expected to become more
common, more severe, and longer lasting as our climate changes.10

Counties most at risk for heat waves, urban heat islands, and annualized frequency

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// KEY STRATEGIES

^ EXTREME HEAT

* Shade structure

Tree planting

• Green roofs

* Tree planting * Cool roofs

? Cool
pavement

PROVIDE SHADE

OVER PLAYGROUNDS

Shading playgrounds and other outdoor public
spaces reduces temperatures and makes the
space more attractive.

REDUCE OR LIGHTEN PAVED SURFACES

Replacing paved surfaces with greenery or
lighter coatings reduces the surrounding air
temperature.

PROVIDE SHADE FOR
NATURAL WATER BODIES

GREEN ROOFS/
FACADES/WALLS

SHADE OVER PARKING

REFLECTIVE, HIGH

ALBEDO ROOFS

PROVIDE SHADE
TO COOL RUNOFF

REDUCE PAVED
SURFACES

SHADE OVER
PLAYGROUNDS

TREE PLANTING/
SHADE

Improves habitat by
moderating water
temperature and stabilizing
land around the water.

Green surfaces
cool the air.

White roofs reflect

more sun and
reduce urban heat.

Paved surfaces absorb
heat and radiate it to
the surroundings.

Help protect
people vulnerable
to extreme heat.

Trees and vegetation lower surface and
air temperatures by providing shade and
through evapotranspiration. Shaded
surfaces, for example, may be 20-45°F

(11-25°C) cooler than the peak
temperatures of unshaded materials.11

Data taken from: TT EPA. Using Trees and Vegetation to Reduce Heat Islands. https;//www.epa.gov/heatislands/using-trees-and-vegetation-reduce-heat-islands. Accessed October 24, 2022.

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Drought reduces supplies for drinking water and economic uses
and fuels wildfire.

Drought stands alone as its own hazard and is a contributing
factor to other disasters such as wildfires. Drought is a
prolonged period of unusually low rainfall, which varies
depending on the place and time of year. It is a set of
conditions that arise relatively slowly and affect communities
differently. Prolonged and repeated droughts can lead to low
water supply levels, which can affect energy generation, and
depleted reservoirs.

RESOURCES

• EPA WaterSense Program https://www. epa.gov/watersense

• National Drought Mitigation Center https://drought.unl.edu

• Center for Climate and Energy Solutions Resilience Strategies
for Drought https://www. c2es.org/document/resilience-
strategies-for-drought/

Counties most at risk for droughts, and extreme and exceptional drought events in

DISASTER TYPE

DROUGHT

U.S. Drought
Monitor 2021
Extreme and
Exceptional
Drought

Risk Index Rating
Drought

High Risk

River Systems

The balance between agricultural and residential/commercial
water demand varies at local and regional scales, and droughts
often occur over large areas. Compact development patterns
can reduce both water demand and the amount of water lost to
leaks in aging pipes. Along with drought-tolerant landscaping
and efficient use of water for buildings, green infrastructure
can replenish groundwater supplies through infiltration
practices such as bioretention and permeable pavements.

Landscape-based designs using soil and vegetation to absorb
runoff also can be used to increase stream baseflows and
reduce the impacts of drought on water supplies.

Insufficient data for U.S. territories and commonwealths. These territories experience a significant risk of drought.

Data taken from: FEMA, National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), USD A, NOAA, Esri; Rand McNally; Bartholemew and Times Books; Digital Chart of the World (DCW);

U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; i-cubed, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Esri; Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency.

Basemap: Esri, USGS, NOAA

FEMA Nature-Based Solutions https://www. fema.gov/
emergency-managers/risk-management/nature-based-
solutions

Public Policy Institute of California Building Drought
Resilience in California's Cities and Suburbs https://www.
ppic.org/publication/building-drought-resilience-californias-
cities-suburbs/

NOAA, North American Drought Monitor (NADM) https://
www, ncei. noaa.gov/access/monitoring/nadm/

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• Stormwater

KEY STRATEGIES

DROUGHT

* Aquifer
recharge

* Cistern for water
storage/reuse

WATER HARVESTING

Collecting water for reuse and allowing water
to seep into the aquifer will reduce region-
wide drought.

XERISCAPING

Plant native species, or increase the amount of
plants in arid climates, that demand less water.
Avoid popular but unsuitable plants for hotter
and drier climate conditions.

* Drought-resistant
! vegetation

Using water wisely
reduces demand.

WATER-EFFICIENT
HOME APPLIANCES

SOIL AMENDMENTS

Adding organic matter
promotes infiltration
and aquifer recharge.

SMART IRRIGATION
SYSTEMS

Smart sensors
help determine
irrigation needs.

AQUIFER RECHARGE
USING STORMWATER

Use less water
in households.

Shade trees reduce
evaporation.

Plant drought-
vegetation that
less water.

SHADE AROUND
RESERVOIRS

T
ii

II-

WATER-EFFICIENT

AGRICULTURE

Data taken from: Adams County, CO GIS viewer

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T

Landslides

~ Catastrophic
and Large Events

Risk Index Rating
Landslides
High Risk

DISASTER TYPE

LANDSLIDE and MUDSLIDE

Although landslides can be associated with earthquakes
and other geologic hazards, they are exacerbated by climate
change impacts. Landslides are much more likely to occur
where stabilizing vegetation has been removed due to
development and/or has been destroyed by wildfires or
weakened by drought. Heavy rain can also trigger landslides.

RESOURCES

• National Landslide Risk Map https://hazards. fema.gov/nri/
landslide

• CDC Mudslides Fact Sheet https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/
landslides, html# risk

Counties most at risk for a landslide or mudslide, and catastrophic-large landslide events between 1916-2021

The combination of drought, catastrophic wildfires, and intense
rain events leads to more frequent landslides ancfmudslides in the
United States.

In the Southwestern United States and the arid West, wildfires
followed by short, intense rain events are a common cause
of debris flows. Post-fire debris flows can happen with little
warning and cause extensive damage to infrastructure
and ecosystems, putting lives at risk. Green infrastructure
approaches can reduce the risk of landslides by managing
the vegetation on steep slopes, reforesting areas uphill of
potential landslide areas, and creating vegetated buffers on
hillsides.

• USGS What is a landslide and what causes one? https://www.
usgs.gov/faqs/what-landslide-and-what-causes-one

• Oregon DLCD and DOGAMI Preparing for Landslide
Hazards https://www.oregongeology.org/Landslide/
Landslide Guide OuickReference 2019.pdf

• USGS Landslide Hazards https://www. usgs.gov/programs/
landslide-hazards

" s ' If

Insufficient data for U.S. territories and commonwealths. Puerto Rico and the Pacific Territories experience a significant landslide and mudslide risk.

Data taken from: EEMA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Global Landslide Catalog (GLC), USGS, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau,

Esri; Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Basemap: Esri, USGS, NOAA

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KEY STRATEGIES

LANDSLIDE and MUDSLIDE

Slope stabilization
could also be an
outdoor theater

REFOREST SLOPES

Tree cover to
protect slope

SLOPE STABILIZATION

Trees and native understory plants help
stabilize the soil and reduce landslides and
mudslides.

In areas with steep slopes, stabilization
strategies will reduce risk.





SLOPE STABILIZATION
ADJACENT TO A CREEK

Data taken from: portlandmaps.com

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DISASTER TYPE

TORNADO and EARTHQUAKE

Counties most at risk for earthquakes and tornado tracks between 1986-2019

Risk Index Rating
Eathquakes
¦ High Risk
Moderate Risk
Low Risk

Plate Boundaries

Micro Plates,
Major Fault
Zones, Plate
Interface

Tornado Tracks
between 1986-2019

• Type 2-5

Resilient design can benefit more than one hazard and create flexible
community spaces with broad mitigation applications.

In the immediate and short-term aftermath of a tornado or
earthquake, green infrastructure assets—such as parks and
greenways—can provide safe areas for community members
to gather and staging areas for local response teams. These
areas can serve as local hubs where separated family
members can reconnect, food and water can be distributed,
and information can be shared. Parks can serve as some of
the few spaces to gather that are safe from falling objects or
downed power lines and should not be used for storing debris.
As communities rebuild after tornadoes and earthquakes,
local governments can build more resilient structures and
protect open spaces that can reduce the severity of impacts
from future events.

RESOURCES

• USGS Earthquake Hazards https://www. usgs.gov/programs/
earthquake-hazards

Tornado Preparation https://www. ready, gov/tornadoes

NOAA Storm Prediction Center https://www.spc.noaa.gov/

Tornado Damage Survey Results https://www, weather.gov/
gsp/newTornadomap

Insufficient data for U.S. States territories and commonwealths. These territories experience a significant risk of earthquakes.

Data taken from: FEMA, NOAA, USGS, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Esri; Garmin International, Inc.; U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Basemap: Esri,
USGS, NOAA

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KEY STRATEGIES

TORNADO and EARTHQUAKE

DO NOT USE PARKS/
OPEN SPACE AS
STAGING FOR DEBRIS

Buildings should resist
high wind conditions
and seismic forces

With new, better
warning systems,
shelters can be a place of
refuge during a tornado.

Locate resilience

hubs to be accessible

to highly vulnerable
populations that need
them the most.

Parks are needed
by the community
during recovery.

SOIL LIQUEFACTION

Codes are needed to
reduce damage from
soil liquefaction.



Building codes should
address the local risk.

Shelters should be
accessible after disasters
and prepared with
supplies and back-up
power.

Open space can be
a gathering space
during aftershocks.

OPEN SPACE FOR
EVACUATING BUILDINGS

COMMUNITY CENTERS
AS RESILIENCE HUBS

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Additional EPA Resources

Regional Resilience Toolkit: 5 Steps to Build Large-Scale Resilience to Natural Disasters (2019): Toolkit created
through a partnership with FEMA that helps regions plan for disasters by working across multiple jurisdictions and with
nongovernmental partners to address multi-hazard resilience through a consolidated planning process.

Smart Growth Fixes for Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Changing Land Use and Building Codes and Policies to
Prepare for Climate Change (2017): Guide that describes specific changes communities could make to their land use
and building policies to prepare for climate change while gaining other environmental, economic, health, and social
benefits in the short and long terms.

Planning Framework for a Climate-Resilient Economy (2016): Tool, developed through a technical assistance project
with the Rhode Island Division of Planning, to help communities assess how climate change could affect their economy,
improve their economic resilience, and think creatively about ways to prosper in a changing climate.

Climate Adaptation: Links to EPA resources to help the nation anticipate, prepare for, adapt to, and recover from the
impacts of climate change. This includes evaluating how climate change might affect efforts to attain environmental
standards and identifying strategies that also reduce greenhouse gases and other pollution.

Climate Change Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X): Lets local government decision-makers create a package of
information tailored to their needs. Users can find information about the risks posed by climate change to the issues they
are concerned about, relevant adaptation strategies, case studies illustrating how other communities have adapted to
those risks and tools to replicate their successes, online training, and EPA funding opportunities.

Natural Disasters: Links to information on ways to reduce or avoid risks to health and the environment due to natural
disasters—at home, in your community or school, or in your business. This site provides resources and steps to prepare
for, respond to, and recover from many hazards referenced in this document, including drought, earthquakes, extreme
heat, flooding, hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires.

Heat Island Effect: Information about heat islands and ways to mitigate the higher temperatures these urban and
suburban areas can cause.

Green Infrastructure: Tools, case studies, and other resources to promote green infrastructure solutions.

EI Screen: Environmental justice mapping and screening tool that provides a nationally consistent dataset and approach
for combining environmental and demographic socioeconomic indicators. It includes climate change-exacerbated
hazards such as drought, flooding, and sea level rise.

Smart Growth: Tools, publications, technical assistance, and other resources to help communities use design and
development strategies to expand economic opportunity, protect human health and the environment, and create and
enhance the places that people love.

Enviro Adas: An interactive web-based tool providing geospatial data, easy-to-use tools, and other resources that
decision-makers can use to inform policy and planning in the places where people live, learn, work and play.

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sntal Protection

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