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Rhode Island: Vulnerability of Municipal Transportation Assets to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge
September 28, 2016
From Rhode Island’s Statewide Planning Program, Technical Paper 167: “Vulnerability of Municipal Transportation Assets to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge” analyzes the estimated geographic extent of sea level rise in relation to transportation infrastructure in the state over the next century. The study found that sea level rise presents a major challenge to Rhode Island’s transportation infrastructure, both via daily tidal flooding of coastal assets, and in making storm surge events more severe.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Changing Tides: How Sea-level Rise Harms Wildlife and Recreation Economies Along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard
August 15, 2016
From the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), “Changing Tides” delineates the risks of sea-level rise to wildlife, recreation, and local economies by outlining key impacts in 15 eastern U.S. states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. NWF also offers policy solutions for both mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Rhode Island Special House Commission to Study Economic Risk Due to Flooding and Sea Level Rise - Final Report
May 12, 2016
In June 2015, the Rhode Island resolution H-5478 created an 11 member special legislative study Commission whose purpose was to study and make recommendations concerning the economic risks relating to, and resulting from, sea rise and flooding in Rhode Island, and who would report back to the General Assembly by January of 2016.
Resource Category: Assessments
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EPA New England Healthy Communities Grant Program
The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England’s main grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks in order to protect and improve human health and the quality of life, advance resilience, and preserve/restore important ecosystems. EPA acknowledges that all communities are at risk for climate change and extreme weather impacts, and supports planning and preparation for these impacts within Healthy Communities projects.
Resource Category: Funding
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Rhode Island 2015 Climate Change and Health Resiliency Report
2015
The Rhode Island Department of Health’s Climate Change and Health Resiliency Report identifies the climate change impacts on public health in Rhode Island, and offers strategies that can strengthen the effectiveness of public health management for climate impacts in the state. The report describes the threats that climate change poses to the state and its vulnerable populations, and details ongoing and planned best practices to counter these threats and protect vulnerable groups. The Department of Health Climate Change Program (HEALTH) has implemented climate adaptation projects that are highlighted throughout the report, along with Rhode Island case studies, and examples of best practices from across the country.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Adaptation to Natural Hazards and Climate Change in North Kingstown, Rhode Island
August 2015
This report was developed to help Rhode Island local governments assess vulnerabilities to natural hazards, such as sea-level rise and coastal flooding, and prepare implementable coastal adaptation strategies. Strategies derived from this process can be included in local planning documents, and used to prioritize adaptation investments through local transportation and capital improvement programs. The stepwise approach described in the report was piloted in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, and is intended to provide a model for other municipalities in the state.
Resource Category: Planning
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RI H 5478: Creating the Rhode Island House Commission on Economic Risk Due to Flooding and Sea Rise
June 17, 2015
In June 2015, Rhode Island House Resolution 5478 created an 11 member special legislative commission whose purpose was to study and make recommendations concerning the economic risks relating to and resulting from sea rise and flooding in the state. The Commission expired and disbanded on February 6, 2016 after reporting back their findings and recommendations to the House of Representatives.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
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Catalog of Adaptation Techniques for Coastal and Waterfront Businesses: Options to Help Heal with the Impacts of Storms and Sea Level Rise
May 2015
The Rhode Island Shoreline Change Special Area Management Plan (Beach SAMP) is a partnership between state agencies and the University of Rhode Island to prepare for climate change in coastal communities. Developed by the Beach SAMP team, this catalog provides guidance to business owners to understand exposure to climate change and safeguard buildings from damage. Tips range from reinforcing roofs and raising utility structures, to installing flood gates and utilizing green infrastructure for stormwater management.
Resource Category: Solutions
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Army Corps North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study – Main Report
January 2015
This US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) study, released in January 2015, assesses flood risk from coastal storms for the North Atlantic coast from Virginia to Maine – the states and communities affected by Hurricane Sandy – and recommends strategies for reducing those flood risks. The study was designed to help Sandy-affected states and communities better understand how flood risks will change as a result of climate change and sea-level rise. It captures the latest scientific information on sea-level rise, and provides state, local, and tribal governments with tools to help them prepare for changing flood risks and apply the lessons learned from the study.
Resource Category: Planning
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Rhode Island Rising: A Plan for People, Places, and Prosperity
December 2014
From the Rhode Island state government, this plan outlines the state’s long term vision for economic development. The majority of this plan is dedicated to general economic development concerns such as income, job growth, and regulations, but it also contains a substantial section focused on climate adaptation (Goal 5, pgs. 97-115). Rising air and water temperatures, increasing precipitation, extreme weather, and sea level rise were identified as significant climate threats to Rhode Island’s economy.
Resource Category: Planning


