Climate vulnerability assessment
This paper examines stormwater flooding and extreme heat, as they are evaluated as frequent or chronic hazards that gradually degrade personal and economic well-being and directly expose parts of every neighborhood in Boston. Coastal and riverine flooding is expected to be an acute hazard for much of the remainder of the century, experienced through major storm events with immediate and long-lasting impacts. Moreover, as sea levels continue to rise, coastal flooding from high tides is expected to become a chronic hazard, potentially flooding many low-lying neighborhoods along the waterfront on a monthly basis.
The Exposure and Consequence Analysis for Focus Areas was developed to provide deeper insight into exposure and consequences as a result of coastal flood hazards in specific vulnerable areas within the Boston community. Climate Ready Boston is able to address coastal flood hazard for coastal focus areas due to the robust nature of the information available, quality of evaluation possible at that scale, and magnitude of expected consequences throughout this century. The Climate Ready Boston Vulnerability Assessment evaluates three climate hazards and their plausible changes over time due to climate change:
- Chronic extreme heat;
- Frequent stormwater flooding;
- Acute and chronic coastal and riverine flooding.
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