In This Issue:
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News from Resilient Virginia
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National and International News
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Economic Opportunities for Community Resilience in Virginia |
A Summary of the 2023 Resilient Virginia Conference |
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We chose to focus this year’s Resilient Virginia Conference on the numerous economic opportunities that currently exist for building community resilience in the state. Let’s be clear - businesses and communities will increasingly face risks in infrastructure damage, supply chain disruptions, and the toll on workers. However, by taking advantage of economic opportunities, they can begin to address the risks they are facing.
Some of these opportunities are new, like the tremendous amount of funding coming from the federal government as a result of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. Besides the unprecedented federal funding to support infrastructure and climate actions by states and localities, there is a parallel opportunity that is growing every year to expand climate-related business and workforce initiatives.
Some of these opportunities are not so new, such as the organizations and programs that have already been helping Virginia’s communities build resilience - for example, the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP) and Virginia DCR’s work on Flood Resilience Planning.
Although funding is crucial, it isn’t the only resource communities need to prepare for anticipated hazards, adapt to changing conditions, and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions. Building resilience can be complicated and time-consuming. Communities need to know what data they require and where they can find it; what tools are available to help them throughout their journey and how to use the tools; ways in which they can become more resilient with limited capacity; and how they can achieve community buy-in. Through plenary sessions, breakout sessions, and workshops, the whole range of resources was highlighted at the conference - with a focus on how they can work together to address climate impact. Please read our latest post on the highlights of the conference. |
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Resilience, Reality, and a Student's Perspective |
Resilient Virginia partners with multiple Virginia universities to offer internship opportunities for students wanting hands-on experience in the resiliency field. This summer, Jane Ruggles worked for us as an intern from UVA. During this time, Jane split her time between coordinating the 2023 Resilient Virginia Conference and researching and writing a paper on “An Overview of Economic Impacts, Challenges, and Opportunities related to Climate Change in Virginia” (to be published by the end of 2023). We are so thankful for her help this summer and are pleased that she walked away from the internship with a better understanding of what is actually being done to help plan for the future that she and her peers are inheriting. We invite you to read Jane's article, "Resilience, Reality, and a Student's Perspective" on our website. |
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Join us at Roanoke's Prepareathon |
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Come by Roanoke's Prepareathon on Saturday, September 16th, and learn more about flood safety, emergency management, and recovery. Come find our booth and play a little bit of trivia with us! 10am - 2pm Berglund Center Coliseum |
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Tracy Garland is Moving On to a New Position |
Please join us in wishing Tracy Garland all the best as she moves on to a new position! Tracy worked in a variety of roles with Resilient Virginia over six years and was most recently the Director of Program Development and Management. Over the years, she helped develop the Resiliency Academy series and Resilient Virginia Conferences; served as Director of Social Media and Events; and was integral in applying for and managing grant awards. We will miss Tracy’s great propensity for keeping us organized and her vision for expanding Resilient Virginia’s role in promoting the importance of climate resilience planning. |
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USDA to Invest $9.7 Million in Rural Virginia Infrastructure and Community Services |
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On August 28th, the USDA announced a $9.7 million investment in rural Virginia infrastructure and community services. The following state projects received funding:
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The town of Goshen received a $255,000 grant to purchase land and fund construction of a new multi-purpose facility for residents who have to currently travel long distances to obtain essential services.
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The town of Mount Jackson received a $4.7 million loan to help fund wastewater treatment plant improvements.
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The Wise County Public Service Authority received $4.8 million in loans and grants to alleviate community health hazards associated with low water pressure, including replacement of water lines, installation of gate valves, fire hydrant assemblies; and associated water appurtenances.
For more information on grant and loan opportunities, visit https://www.rd.usda.gov/. |
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Abingdon, Bluefield Receive State Grants for Revitalization Projects
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The towns of Abingdon and Bluefield have received grants from Virginia’s Industrial Revitalization Fund which is administered by the state Department of Housing and Community Development. According to the news release from Governor Youngkin’s office, the fund “is targeted toward vacant non-residential structures whose poor condition creates physical and economic blight to the surrounding area in which the structure is located.”
Abingdon received a $5 million grant to redevelop a former Kmart building into a child development and workforce hub. Bluefield received a $750,000 grant to revitalize an unused building to house multiple businesses. |
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Conservation Groups Sue to Keep Virginia in RGGI Program |
A group of Virginia-based environmental and conservation groups sued the state over Virginia’s withdrawal from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The lawsuit was filed by the Southern Environmental Law Center on behalf of the Association of Energy Conservation Professionals, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, Appalachian Voices, and Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions. Virginia is set to remain in RGGI through the end of the year even if the Youngkin administration successfully defends the withdrawal.
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‘Uniquely Norfolk’: Years-Long Ohio Creek Watershed Flood Mitigation Project is Officially Complete
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The Ohio Creek Watershed Project started in 2016 with a $112 million federal grant from the National Disaster Resilience Competition. The project explored various landscape and hardscape options to improve flooding, public access to the waterway, and connections to the rest of the city. |
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Roanoke Announces Flood Map Updates
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Roanoke recently announced the approval by FEMA of new floodplain maps for the Roanoke River. The new maps indicate the likelihood and severity of flooding for properties along the Roanoke River corridor within the city limits. Of the 1,400 parcels along this almost 10-mile-long stretch, the vast majority either remained in the same flood designation or moved into a lower-risk category. This reflects the decades of flood mitigation work that has been done along the banks of the waterway. |
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West Virginia’s Experience Can Inform Flood Resiliency Efforts in Other Mountain States |
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Riverine and flash flooding, particularly in inland and mountainous states, does more damage each year than hurricanes, and West Virginia is one of the most flood-prone states in the U.S. From 2010 through 2021, the state experienced more than 1,600 floods. After severe flooding devastated parts of the state in 2016 and 2022, they began working with The Pew Charitable Trusts (plus other partners) to develop systems that can help the state better prepare for, respond to, and recover from floods. West Virginia’s actions to create a new Flood Resiliency Plan and establish the Flood Resiliency Trust Fund to support implementation of the plan can be an example for other states that experience devastating inland flooding.
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Record-Setting Heat in Phoenix Has Led to Concerns About Future Conditions |
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In July, Phoenix set a new record: 31 straight days with temperatures over 110 degrees. Although local governments and nonprofits have provided relief, some believe this effort isn’t sustainable, especially since these occurrences are expected to increase. This NPR interview highlights the efforts currently underway and how these efforts need to be expanded to ensure all residents are safe when the temperatures get this high.
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Wildfire-Preparation Tactics Every Community Should Consider |
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Until recently, wildfire is not a risk that some communities have had to give much thought to. This summer has shown us that it’s time to start thinking about how our communities can prepare for these risks though. Looking at lessons from past disastrous fires, there are steps communities can take to help reduce fire risk, including:
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Create a vegetation buffer - a vegetation-free layer between any wild landscape and the outskirts of town
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Increase the space between buildings - ideally, there should be at least 25 to 30 feet between buildings to help prevent the spread of fire
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Avoid building with wood - fires often spread from embers flying off one building and landing on the roof of another, so constructing roofs using fire-resistant material can help prevent this spread
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Make sure there are multiple ways out of town - the more exits out of town, the better, enabling people to get away, fast
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Build fire refuges - if evacuating becomes impossible, community centers, schools, parks, etc can be backup places for the community to take refuge. Ideally, fire refuges will be made of fire-resistant materials with a fire break or vegetation buffer to keep the fire out.
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NOAA Seeks Public Comment to Inform More Equitable Climate Service Delivery |
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NOAA has issued a Request for Information (RFI) that seeks feedback on its delivery of climate services - data, information, science, and tools. The RFI focuses on:
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How NOAA can increase capacity and access to climate services for climate preparedness, resilience and adaptation planning in historically underserved communities;
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How the agency can better include indigenous and local knowledge in its climate services; and
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How the agency can ensure climate services information reaches all U.S. communities in a way that is accessible, inclusive, and usable.
Feedback gathered through the RFI will be used to develop an Action Plan designed to:
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Make NOAA’s climate services more accessible, understandable, usable, inclusive of the social and economic impacts of climate change and capable of addressing complex hazards; and
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Build capacity for and support users of all disciplines and backgrounds, especially historically underserved communities and tribal communities, by expanding science literacy and successfully applying climate services to science-based decisions about climate risk and resilience.
The RFI will close on September 21, 2023.
Written or recorded comments can be emailed to climate.input@noaa.gov
You can also attend one of their Listening Sessions to provide comments in real time. |
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SSDN Deepens Support for Southeast Communities’ Access to Federal Funding |
In order to advance equitable climate projects and initiatives, the Southeast Sustainability Directors Network (SSDN) has launched the Local Infrastructure Hub (LIH) Regional Cohorts program to provide support and technical assistance to local governments and their partners access federal funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). This program is available to Virginia and other southeast states. Communities will have the opportunity to apply for one on one assistance from SSDN’s LIH Cohort’s technical assistance bench and/or capacity building awards to support things like:
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Grant strategy - help with identifying and aligning community needs to federal funding opportunities
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Engagement - community and stakeholder ownership in proposal planning
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Technical exploration - expertise in a specific topic
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Federal proposal development - support drafting and submitting a proposal
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Investing in America: Climate Action Funding Resource Guide |
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published "Investing in America: Climate Action Funding Resource Guide". This guide is a companion piece to the Investing in America: Climate Action Funding Fair held August 7-11, 2023 in support of EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program. The purpose of the guide is to offer resources for locating federal funding opportunities to states, metropolitan statistical areas, Tribes and territories—eligible entities of EPA’s CPRG program—for development of climate action plans under the program.
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The Bill is Coming Due: Mitigating the Costs of Disasters |
According to conference attendees, Plenary 2 - The Bill is Coming Due: Mitigating the Costs of Disasters was the most informational plenary session at the 2023 Resilient Virginia Conference so we made the recording available on our website. In this session, FEMA 3 Mitigation Operations Branch Chief Valerie Panacio provided information on the costs of climate disasters and the City of Virginia Beach's Stormwater Engineering Center Administrator Toni Utterback spoke about the city's approach to developing and getting support for large-scale projects to address sea level rise and flooding.
For Conference attendees, all recordings are available on the conference website. In November, we will add the recordings to the Resilient Virginia Member Site so our members will also be able to watch them at that time. Not a member? Join us today to get access to this benefit (plus more)!
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Resilient Events Calendar |
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This summer and fall, check out the many webinars, conferences, and community meetings that are happening in Virginia and around the nation.
A few of special interest: September 13-15 NASEM is hosting a workshop on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Wildland Fires September 19 the Maryland Department of Planning, in partnership with Smart Growth Network, is hosting a webinar on Inclusive Transportation September 20 and November 8 FEMA Region 3 is hosting Coffee Break webinars |
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Thank you to our Annual Sponsors |
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