The Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery, released in 2013 through a partnership between several Federal entities in coordination with local institutions, has been updated to reflect the latest data on future sea level rise and flooding risks.

The Tool, which covers Sandy-affected counties in New York and New Jersey, comprises 1) a set of map services¹ that show flooding risks based on future scenarios of sea level rise, and 2) a sea level change calculator² that provides site-specific detail on projected flood elevations. Formerly, the sea level rise scenarios for New York extended only to 2050, but now, both components of the Tool have been updated with scenarios for 2080 and 2100 from the New York Panel on Climate Change (NPCC). Additionally, both components now include the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) latest preliminary work maps of floodplain boundaries.

As New York and New Jersey continue to rebuild after Hurricane Sandy, the Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery provides information that planners and decision makers need to increase resilience to future extreme events. Coastal communities are likely to see further destructive flooding as a result of sea level rise, but accounting for climate change impacts when rebuilding coastal areas can reduce the cost of future disasters and potentially save lives.

To learn more about the Sea Level Rise Tool for Sandy Recovery, please click here.

¹Produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in partnership with FEMA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), and USGCRP.

²Produced by USACE and modified in partnership with FEMA and NOAA.