Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico Coastal Storms Coastal Storms ProgramProgram

Tracie SempierTracie Sempier

Mississippi-Alabama Sea Mississippi-Alabama Sea GrantGrant

Image: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Kick-off MeetingKick-off Meeting

Completed a Needs AssessmentCompleted a Needs Assessment

Use existing hazard resiliency Use existing hazard resiliency studies, management efforts, and studies, management efforts, and tools and serve to leverage tools and serve to leverage partnerships, increase partnerships, increase coordination, outreach, and coordination, outreach, and extension activities regarding extension activities regarding these tools and services in the these tools and services in the Gulf of Mexico.Gulf of Mexico.

AudienceAudiencePrimary:Primary: Emergency and Emergency and

floodplain managersfloodplain managers Natural resource Natural resource

managersmanagers State and local State and local

plannersplanners Land- and Land- and

estuarine-use estuarine-use managersmanagers

Local elected Local elected officialsofficials

Secondary:Secondary: Chambers of Chambers of

CommerceCommerce ResidentsResidents Developers/Developers/

contractorscontractors Port authoritiesPort authorities Academic research Academic research

communitiescommunities Community Community

organizationsorganizationsServing Alabama, Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana

PartnershipsPartnerships

Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA) Coastal Resiliency Priority Issue Coastal Resiliency Priority Issue TeamTeam

Risk WiseRisk Wise NOAA Coastal Storms ProgramNOAA Coastal Storms Program NOAA GoMEX Regional TeamNOAA GoMEX Regional Team Future partners???Future partners???

Three Main Priority Three Main Priority AreasAreas Ecological impacts of coastal Ecological impacts of coastal

storms on aquatic ecosystemsstorms on aquatic ecosystems Hazard mitigations, evacuation, Hazard mitigations, evacuation,

and storm surgeand storm surge Community best practices in Community best practices in

mitigating hazards impacts and mitigating hazards impacts and related problems (evacuation, related problems (evacuation, runoff)runoff)

ToolsTools

Products are developed based on Products are developed based on locally identified needs.locally identified needs.

Appropriate user groups are Appropriate user groups are trained on the use of tools.trained on the use of tools.

Feedback will be collected from Feedback will be collected from CSP partners and user groups on CSP partners and user groups on product effectiveness and product effectiveness and recommendations for recommendations for improvement.improvement.

Objective 1Objective 1

Design a CSP Design a CSP outreach and outreach and education education program that will program that will introduce people introduce people to storms tools, to storms tools, information and information and partnerships.partnerships.

Objective 2Objective 2

Complete an inventory of land-use models, Complete an inventory of land-use models, risk and vulnerability tools, storm-related risk and vulnerability tools, storm-related workshops and training and partners, and workshops and training and partners, and produce a Coastal Storms Resource Directory.produce a Coastal Storms Resource Directory.

Objective 3Objective 3

Implement a Implement a grants program grants program for local and for local and regional partners. regional partners. The grants will The grants will lead to the lead to the development of development of new tools, new tools, products, and products, and services.services.Received 41 Letters of Intent

Objective 4Objective 4

Deliver the CSP Deliver the CSP outreach and outreach and education education program to more program to more than 200,000 than 200,000 constituents.constituents.

Objectives 5 and 6Objectives 5 and 6

Conduct evaluations of coastal Conduct evaluations of coastal storms program products and storms program products and services.services.

Establish mechanisms to continue Establish mechanisms to continue the CSP effort and partnerships the CSP effort and partnerships beyond the pilot period.beyond the pilot period.

Current Status of Current Status of ProjectsProjects Resilience Index has been pilot tested Resilience Index has been pilot tested

in four communities across AL, MS, in four communities across AL, MS, and LA.and LA.

Web portal design has been started Web portal design has been started and strawman has been developed.and strawman has been developed.

Gulf Storms site is available online and Gulf Storms site is available online and continues to be updated.continues to be updated.

Advisory Council has been formed and Advisory Council has been formed and provides feedback for the program.provides feedback for the program.

Current Status of Current Status of ProjectsProjects Presentations have been made to Presentations have been made to

various stakeholder groups.various stakeholder groups. Partnerships have been formed Partnerships have been formed

with several communities, state, with several communities, state, and federal agencies. and federal agencies.

RFP has been released and 41 RFP has been released and 41 Letters of Intent were received.Letters of Intent were received.

Collaboration Collaboration OpportunitiesOpportunities Do any of the priority areas fit Do any of the priority areas fit

within the scope of an existing within the scope of an existing project in which you are currently project in which you are currently involved?involved?

Do you have a resilience-related Do you have a resilience-related tool or resource you would like to tool or resource you would like to share with a broader audience?share with a broader audience?

Do you see opportunities for Do you see opportunities for partnership with the GoMEX CSP?partnership with the GoMEX CSP?

ContactContact

Tracie SempierTracie SempierCoastal Storms Outreach Coastal Storms Outreach CoordinatorCoordinatorMississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant ConsortiumConsortium(228) 818-8829(228) 818-8829tracie.sempier@usm.edutracie.sempier@usm.edu