NASA/KSC participated in a previous preliminary vulnerability assessment that focused on climate change. The infrastructure study conducted by ATM, a Geosyntec company, advanced that preliminary assessment to provide a more detailed analysis from an engineering perspective and to develop a standardized process for assessing vulnerabilities due to climate change.
ATM conducted a desktop study to determine the vulnerability of 30 critical infrastructure facilities to future flood risks associated with coastal storm surge and sea level rise. ATM produced GIS-based inundation maps using existing LiDAR topography, FEMA 100-year surge levels, and NOAA-predicted sea level rise projections for three time horizons: 2029, 2059, and 2089.
ATM created digital GIS layers of inundation vulnerability and a ranking system. Based upon the ranking system, ATM prioritized critical infrastructure projects needing immediate attention for resiliency efforts. The prioritization also considered project life cycle costs.
Quick Qual
Project Summary
- Location: Brevard County, FL
- Client: NASA
- Project Practice Areas: Coastal & Waterfront
- Type of Facility: NASA launch site, research center, museum
- Services Provided: Coastal vulnerability assessment; analysis of coastal storm surge and sea level rise, GIS-based inundation maps, project prioritization/ranking
- Type of Work: desktop study of climate resiliency
