Project Specifics

Before this project began, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) Kennedy Space Center participated in a previous preliminary vulnerability assessment that focused on climate change. This infrastructure study conducted by Geosyntec advanced the previous preliminary assessment and provided a more detailed analysis from an engineering perspective. It also developed a standardized process for assessing vulnerabilities due to climate change.

Geosyntec Scope of Services

Geosyntec practitioners conducted a desktop study of 30 critical infrastructure facilities to assess their vulnerability to future flood risks associated with coastal storm surge and sea-level rise. We then produced inundation maps based in Geographic Information System (GIS). To do this, we referred to existing LiDAR topography, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 100-year surge levels, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) sea-level rise projections for 2029, 2059, and 2089.

Notable Accomplishments

Geosyntec created digital GIS layers of inundation vulnerability and a ranking system. Based on the ranking system, we prioritized critical infrastructure projects that needed immediate attention for resiliency efforts. The prioritization also considered project life-cycle costs.

Note: At the time of this project, Geosyntec practitioners were contracted as ATM, which was acquired by Geosyntec.

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