Red Cross Using NOAA Tool to Pinpoint Vulnerable Populations

The Takeaway: NOAA’s Coastal County Snapshots help responders understand situation complexities.

The Red Cross is using a NOAA Digital Coast tool, the Coastal County Flood Exposure Snapshot, to communicate vulnerability information to its network members with easy-to-understand tables and graphs.

Mississippi and Louisiana coastal communities are susceptible to a variety of natural and man-made hazards. Many of the residents are particularly vulnerable because of age, income, or disabilities and require special assistance. The ability to visually communicate vulnerability data, such as the number of residents over age 65 living in a floodplain, is a big help to these first responders. (2016)

Partners: American Red Cross, Coastal Resilience Networks, NOAA Office for Coastal Management