About StormSmart Coasts

The StormSmart Coasts program was developed by the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) to help communities prepare for and protect themselves from coastal storms and flooding now and under higher sea levels. Whenever possible, the program taps into existing resources and aims to provide Massachusetts communities with tried-and-true actions that they can take to reduce their risks. CZM launched the StormSmart Coasts website in May 2008 to consolidate and simplify these resources. The StormSmart Coasts program provides ongoing assistance with local implementation of StormSmart strategies.

Two articles from Coastal Services, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center magazine, describe the development and implementation of StormSmart Coasts in Massachusetts:

• Making Massachusetts' Coast StormSmart, September/October 2008
• Test-Driving StormSmart Coasts in Massachusetts, November/December 2010

StormSmart Coasts benefitted greatly from the hard work of three former CZM employees:

• Wes Shaw, who developed StormSmart Coasts as a NOAA Coastal Services Center Coastal Management Fellow at CZM.
• Daniella Hirschfeld, who lead the first round of implementation pilot projects, also as a Coastal Management Fellow.
• Andrea Cooper, CZM's Shoreline and Floodplain Manager, who mentored Wes and Daniella.

The program also would not be possible without the generous contributions of time and expertise by many, including:

• Edward A. Thomas, Esq., of Michael Baker Jr. Engineering.
• Staff and members of the Association of State Floodplain Managers.
• Staff of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation.
• Local officials from many Massachusetts coastal communities.

The early success of the Massachusetts StormSmart Coasts initiative quickly led to the development of a national network. A growing partnership of coastal decision makers supported by the NOAA Coastal Services Center, Northeast Regional Ocean Council, Gulf of Mexico Alliance, and others represents the StormSmart Coasts Network. The National Network website primarily provides local decision makers with information that they can use to adapt to the challenges of erosion, flooding, storms, and sea level rise and helps them connect and collaborate with one another.