Resources for Resilience and Adaptation in New England (RAINE)

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These webpages do not constitute official EPA policy. Any opinions or positions expressed in these webpages may not represent official EPA positions or policies.

RAINE links to non-EPA websites do not imply any official EPA endorsement of or a responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data, or products presented at those locations or guarantee the validity of the information provided. EPA does not endorse any service, product or entity. EPA is not responsible for the content of third-party websites.

Links to non-EPA servers are provided solely as a pointer to information that might be useful to EPA staff and the public.

On this page:

General information about climate change
Adaptation and resilience case studies and tools
Find out more about climate change and resilience planning
Mapping Climate Change Impacts

General information about climate change

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
This program coordinates and integrates federal research on changes in the global environment and their implications for society. Thirteen departments and agencies, including EPA, participate in the USGCRP. The USGCRP develops and updates the National Climate Assessment.

Climate Ready Estuaries
This EPA program works with National Estuary Programs and coastal management community to: assess climate change vulnerabilities; develop and implement strategies; and engage and educate stakeholders. You can find tools, guides, checklists, reports, and more.

NOAA Climate
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides timely and authoritative information about climate. NOAA provides climate science and climate-related events through videos, stories, images, and data visualizations; creating data products and services that are easy to access and use; and provide tools and resources that help people make informed decisions about climate risks, vulnerability, and resilience.

Adaptation and resilience case studies and tools

Climate and Adaptation Knowledge Exchange (CAKE)
CAKE includes case studies of on-the-ground adaptation efforts, a library of resources to support your work, a community forum with an expert advice column

Georgetown Center Adaptation Clearinghouse
The Adaptation Clearinghouse seeks to assist state policymakers, resource managers, academics, and others who are working to help communities adapt to climate change.

Naturally Resilient Communities
This guide provides information about how communities along rivers and coasts, rural or urban can incorporate nature-based solution in local planning, zoning, regulations and built projects to reduce their exposure to climate impacts. It includes tools, case studies, resources and funding sources.

Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Web Tools Comparison Matrix
Climate Central created this matrix to provide the planning and coastal management communities with an expandable chart to compare the functions and methods of publicly available sea level rise and coastal flood web tools.

US Climate Resilience Tool Kit
The Climate Resilience Toolkit provides resources and a framework for understanding and addressing the climate issues that impact people and their communities.

Find out more about climate change and resilience planning

Community Resilience Building (CRB) Workshop
This community-driven process, uses information, experience, and dialogue, where participants identify top hazards, current strengths, challenges, and priority actions to improve community resilience for all hazards today, and in the future.
EPA Climate Adaptation
A webpage compiling EPA’s best resources about climate adaptation and climate adaptation plans. The page features links to EPA’s own Climate Adaptation Action and Implementation Plans and to various adaptation planning tools, like EPA’s Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X) and Creating Resilient Water Utilities (CRWU) tools.
EPA Climate Ready Estuaries (CRE)
A partnership between EPA and the National Estuary Programs (NEPs) to address climate change in coastal areas
EPA National Estuary Program (NEP)
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) place-based program to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance
FEMA Community Rating System (CRS)
A voluntary incentive program through FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program for communities who exceed minimum requirements for flood protection
FEMA Hazard-Specific Resources
Resources to learn about the natural hazards facing communities and steps that can be taken to reduce risk.
Harvard Climate-Energy Challenge
This course examines future climate change in the context of Earth history, and considers various strategies for what might be done to deal with it.
ICLEI Resource Library
A compilation of reports, case studies, factsheets, and more by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiative (ICLEI) designed to help local governments plan for more a more resilient future.
Long Island Sound Study (LISS)
The Long Island Sound Study (LISS) is a cooperative effort involving researchers, regulators, user groups and other concerned organizations and individuals working together to protect and improve the health of the Sound.
MA Department of Energy Resources (DER) Green Communities Program
The Green Communities program assists cities and towns find clean energy solutions that reduce long-term energy costs and strengthen local economies.
MA Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program
This program provides support for cities and towns in Massachusetts to plan for resiliency and implement key climate change adaptation actions for resiliency.
ME Coastal Program
The Maine Coastal Program works with partners to encourage sound planning and smart growth strategies in the coastal zone.
ME Municipal Planning Assistance Program
The Maine Municipal Planning Program provides land use planning expertise for Maine citizens, municipalities, regional planning organizations, state agencies and the Legislature, and promotes growth management principles in state and local policies, programs, regulations and investments through providing technical and financial assistance, coordinating with state agencies, and implementing Maine's Growth Management Act.
National Weather Service (NWS) StormReady Program
A program of the National Weather Service that uses a grassroots approach to help communities respond to extreme weather— from tornadoes to hurricanes. It provides emergency managers with clear-cut guidelines on how to improve their hazardous weather operations. The program is targeted to communities, universities and businesses.
Resilient Rhody's Municipal Resilience Program (MRP)
This program provides direct support to cities and towns in Rhode Island to complete a municipal-driven process that will bring together climate change information and local knowledge to identify top hazards, current challenges, and community strengths.
Sustainable CT
A certification program to recognize thriving and resilient Connecticut municipalities which provides menu of best practices and opportunities for grant funding.
Sustainable Resilient Remediation
An Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC) resource describing sustainable resilient remediation practices for hazardous waste site cleanup and reuse that create resilience against climate change impacts, including extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and wildfires.

Mapping Climate Change Impacts

A collection of geospatial data sources that map the impacts of climate change.

Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool (CEJST)
Identify overburdened and disadvantaged communities by mapping the indicators of burdens in eight categories: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development.
Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA)
View real-time maps showing where climate-related hazards are currently occurring and check how your exposure to extreme heat, drought, wildfire, flooding, and coastal inundation is projected to change over time.
Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EJScreen)
Screen for areas that may be candidates for additional environmental justice considerations by simultaneously mapping environmental and demographic socioeconomic indicators in a selected geographic area.
EPA EnviroAtlas Interactive Map
EnviroAtlas provides geospatial data, easy-to-use tools, and other resources related to ecosystem services, their stressors, and human health. Visually interpret ecosystem services and understand how they can be conserved and enhanced.
FEMA Flood Map Service Center (MSC)
Search your location to find your official flood map, access a range of other flood hazard products, and use available tools to better understand your flood risk.
FEMA National Risk Index (NRI)
Visualize communities across the United States most at risk for 18 natural hazards, including extreme temperatures, drought, flooding, and more.
NOAA Sea Level Rise Viewer
Visualize community-level impacts from coastal flooding or sea level rise (up to 10 feet above average high tides). View photo simulations of how future flooding may impact local landmarks and find data related to water depth, connectivity, flood frequency, socio-economic vulnerability, wetland loss and migration, and mapping confidence.