Issue
While continuing to recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria, coastal managers in Puerto Rico realized the need to consider flooding in the recovery and planning processes. The territory had a collection of recent recovery data, but were in need of technical assistance to develop maps.
Process
To help build skills needed for the recovery and planning process, staff members from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management held two Coastal Inundation Mapping sessions. Participants learned how to use elevation and tidal data to visualize storm surge, high tide flooding, sea level rise, and tsunami scenarios. The training included representatives from FEMA, the University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, Puerto Rico Sea Grant, and local municipalities.
Impact
The skills learned in the course will enable participants to consider these various flood scenarios in their recovery process. In addition, participants will be more prepared for current and future flood impacts in Puerto Rico. (2018)
