NOAA Funding Benefits Massive Flood-Control Initiative

The Takeaway: A NOAA grant was used to assess natural infrastructure performance after Hurricane Sandy. Also developed: a web-based tool used to analyze natural infrastructure investments and identify parcels likely to provide the most benefits.

In a project receiving over $410,000 in NOAA funding after Hurricane Sandy, the Trust for Public Land researched, identified, and planned strategic natural infrastructure investment locations for the metropolitan New York region. Targeted technical assistance was provided to New York City partners, who used this information to inform a $176 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Disaster Resilience award to implement multi-benefit flood control projects in high-risk areas.

The project team, including Drexel and Columbia Universities, also assessed how natural infrastructure performed during Hurricane Sandy and developed a web-based tool used by local decision-makers to analyze green infrastructure investment benefits and identify parcels likely to provide the most benefits. (2017)