Identifying Flooding Impacts to Environmental Justice Communities

This is a ResilientMass action.

The Challenge

The MA 2022 Climate Change Assessment identified precipitation-driven flooding as the most significant climate hazard in Massachusetts, with low-income and linguistically isolated populations being 24% and 39% more likely to live in areas with the highest projected precipitation-driven flood damage.  Massachusetts is also planning for sea level rise by up to 2.5 feet by 2050 compared to 2008 if global emissions are not significantly reduced, and minority and low -income populations combined are 244% more likely to live in coastal areas with the highest projected disruptions in emergency responses and evacuations due to flooding. 

Project Scope

The goal of this project is to update and expand existing flood vulnerability assessments of the Commonwealth and in particular Environmental Justice (EJ) populations across the Commonwealth.  

Intended resilience benefits include:

• Increased understanding of geographic and socioeconomic flood vulnerability and barriers to flood recovery in MA EJ communities.
• Engagement and empowerment of vulnerable communities in the flood mitigation planning process. 
• Increased support for adaptation projects that address EJ community needs. 

Specific actions include the following:

1. Engagement of key state agency members throughout the project cycle
2. Mapping the intersections of EJ community block groups with past and potential flood vulnerabilities
3. Developing and conducting local outreach including to municipalities and EJ communities
4. Integrating local insights into flood vulnerability maps
5. Piloting in-depth community engagement processes towards the development of floodplain mitigation solutions in municipalities with flood-vulnerable EJ communities  

Timeline: January 2024 – June 2024 (FY24), July 2024– June 2025(FY25) 

Metrics

Process metrics: 

• Completion of community engagement and outreach surveys in 187 EJ communities across the Commonwealth. # of community-based organizations (CBO), municipal and state stakeholders engaged.
• Completion of updated flood vulnerability mapping products. # of source datasets compiled.
• Establishment of 4 pilot project partnerships between EJ flood vulnerable populations and municipalities to ground-truth flood exposure and vulnerabilities in EJ communities. 
• Completion of outreach and presentation materials to share lessons learned and best practices developed over the course of the project. 

Outcome metrics: 

• Elevation of the voices of flood-vulnerable EJ populations and empowerment in resiliency planning process
• Strengthened partnerships between municipalities and flood-vulnerable EJ populations through project-based partnerships and co-developing implementation projects
• Increased knowledge and understanding of flood vulnerabilities through comprehensive and accessible data, mapping, and visualization resources 

Results

Through the implementation process of this project, the following results have been achieved:

• Community engagement strategy has been developed, including an inclusive process for determining pilot project communities.
• EJ CBOs and municipal employees have been engaged through individual structured conversations and surveys in 30 key EJ communities (mostly Gateway Cities).  
• Existing Federal, State and Local maps relevant to flood vulnerability have been compiled and data and information gaps have been identified.  A process for quant/qual assessment of flood vulnerabilities across the state is also being developed.

Amongst the main outcomes achieved to date are: 

• A storymap that incorporates mapping information and survey materials has been developed: Flood Vulnerability Assessment (arcgis.com).  This will be enhanced into an engagement platform and updated to elevate EJ community voices and communicate flood vulnerability data in an accessible way over the course of the project, and
• An initial meeting with EJ CBOs, municipalities, regional planning and state agencies was held in June 2024. This group will be shaped into a flooding impact advisory committee with several meetings planned for FY25. 

Best Practices and Lessons Learned

The project team has identified the following lessons learned related to community engagement: 

• Flood Hazard Mitigation is an increasing priority in communities, but it is often hard for people to visualize or think about unless it is directly occurring to them or is a regular risk; 
• There is a challenge in engaging renters vs. homeowners, it is important for engagement to be targeted based on the role people play in their communities
• Engagement is most effective when taking an intersectional approach and meeting people where they are at
• Data and resources need to be able to convey complex and technical concepts in accessible way through multiple formats (visual, written, oral), plain language and translation
• Engagement should come with resources and support and/or be reciprocal, not extractive. Importance of creating spaces in which people’s lived experience is treated as expertise and people are recognized for it.

Technical challenges include several information gaps - some of which will be filled by surveys and additional work in FY25:

• Gaps in statewide watershed models and inland flooding
• Need for quantitative and qualitative assessments of impact and damage on vulnerable populations, small businesses, and communities
• Information on funding acquired that is used to repair or strengthen infrastructure compromised by flooding
• Information on funding used to invest in green infrastructure/stormwater flooding mitigation.
• Data on flood recovery time and how recovery time can vary based on different vulnerability factors).
• Other environmental factors that are impacted by flooding i.e. ground water pollution & contamination. 

Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions

This project's main contribution to the 2023 State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan are related to the Infrastructure Sector Urgent Priority Impact: Damage to Inland Buildings. Particularly, Action Topic 1: Reducing flood risk and supporting equitable restoration projects with communities, 
Action 1a (1): Address impacts of flooding to infrastructure, natural resources and groundwater through better understanding of climate change drivers

Main components of this action include: (1) Address Flood Vulnerability, which includes developing flood map overlays to show increased flood vulnerabilities across the Commonwealth and in particular where these intersect with EJ populations and identifying areas of repeated flooding across the state, overlaying with EJ data, overlaying with potential causes (e.g., geology, land use/IS) and overlaying with potential mitigation options such as upland recharge areas, improved stormwater infrastructure, and removing impervious surfaces or similar. Advance implementation through pilot projects in prioritized areas.  

Further Action

Work is continuing as scoped in our contract with MAPC for FY25, and will include the following deliverables in FY25:

• Additional outreach and surveys of all 187 communities in MA with EJ census block groups.
• Incorporation of surveys, local flooding information, and flood drivers, into flood vulnerability mapping
• Completion of pilot projects in 4 communities across MA resulting in concept plans for flood mitigation, including recommendations for funding options and permitting considerations.
• Outreach and training materials for local communities to address flood vulnerability in EJ and other priority populations.

The project managers are still determining what additional needs for research or community engagement will be beyond FY25. 

Additional Information and Resources

Draft Storymap that incorporates mapping information and survey: Flood Vulnerability Assessment (arcgis.com)