Mapping Coastal Flooding – Erosion Control

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has recently expanded one of its online mapping tools, greatly increasing the area that it covers. The Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper is part of NOAA’s Digital Coast suite of programs. When it was first launched, the mapping tool covered the coasts of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania; it now covers the entire East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. As with other Digital Coast online tools, this one lets users choose a location and specify a number of parameters. On the Flood Hazards Map, for example, you can choose to see where shallow coastal flooding is likely to occur, where storm surges will have the greatest effect, and where FEMA has mapped out flood zones. There is also a Societal Exposure Map showing, among other things, areas of greatest population density and projected population growth; an Infrastructure Exposure Map showing locations of critical facilities and heavily developed regions; and an Ecosystem Exposure Map showing natural and open-space areas and potential sources of pollution. [text_ad] In 2010, 39% of the US population lived in areas vulnerable to coastal flooding, and NOAA says this will increase 8% by 2020. NOAA suggests the tool and the printable and sharable maps it generates be used as a planning tool for hazard mitigation and a starting point for discussions at community meetings.