The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) social science team has published a methods report, data archival package and mapbook for a new assessment identifying where communities in Maine’s Washington County and the Greater East Grand Region are most at risk from coastal and inland natural hazards. These assessment products support the state of Maine’s top initiatives and can be used to support continued local planning, prioritize infrastructure upgrades and resilience investments, and inform communications and outreach materials.
The study maps indicators of population density, critical infrastructure, and inland and coastal hazards including storm surge, precipitation-based stormwater flood potential, winter ice storms, and wildfire. Researchers also developed a comprehensive road-stream crossings dataset (where roads cross rivers and streams) and a soil erodibility index to inform road-stream crossing risk, in addition to investigating community isolation risk through development of a routable road network, road isolation risk indices, and service area isolation risk indices.
Key findings demonstrate that several road-stream crossings are highly vulnerable to flooding and erosion, increasing the chance of road washouts, and compounded hazards may intensify impacts on roads and essential services. Similarly, parts of the region face the risk of isolation during extreme weather, where communities could temporarily lose access to emergency services, medical care, or evacuation routes.
All assessment components and decisions were informed by the best available scientific methodologies, best available existing datasets, and partner and stakeholder engagement, feedback, and priority workshops. Researchers worked closely with Sunrise County Economic Council and federal, state, and local partners to develop assessment goals and products that reflect on-the-ground community needs.
This high-resolution research provides a relative assessment of exposure, hazard, and risk for the nation’s most northeastern rural communities, supporting local land use planning, economic resilience, emergency management planning, and adaptation action.
This work was supported by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management. The research aligns with the Coastal Zone Management Act by providing scientific data to help ensure sustainable and resilient coastal zones.