1. Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force:
A case study for community-driven flooding adaptation.
Libby Murphy
Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell WRI
Gregg Swanzey
Economic Development, City of Kingston
2. Outline
• The Hudson River Estuary Program
• Case Study: Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force
• What can you do?
• Municipal perspective from Gregg Swanzey
• Wrap up
• Questions
3. Hudson River Estuary Program
Core Mission
• Ensure clean water
• Protect and restore fish, wildlife, and their
habitats
• Provide water recreation and river access
• Adapt to climate change
• Conserve world-famous scenery
4. Climate Change & The Hudson River Estuary Program
• Climate Smart Communities
• Flooding Task Forces
• Watershed Resiliency
• Watershed planning
• Green infrastructure
• Assessing culverts for correct sizing
• Assessing dams for removal or repair
• Trees for Tribs (stream buffer restoration)
• Biodiversity Resiliency
22. Cost benefit tool
Scenario: damage from a 100-yr (1%)
storm in 2100 with high sea level rise.
2013
no sea level rise.
23. Worse case scenario
Year 2100, With High Sea Level Rise and a 100-year Storm
1% Probability of Occurrence in Any Given Year
Total Damage for this Event:
Damage to Wastewater Treatment Plant:
$39.9 Million
$27.6 Million
• Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise
• Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise + Storm Surge
Cumulative Expected Damages by 2100
With High Sea Level Rise = $126 Million
26. NYS 2100 Commission Report
(2012)
NYS Sea Level Rise Task Force
Report (2010)
Responding to Climate Change
in NYS / ClimAID (2011)
27.
28. What else can you do?
• Stay in touch with the Hudson River Estuary Program
• CanVIS free visualization tool by NOAA
• Sea level rise webviewer, Hudson River, by Scenic Hudson
(coming soon)
• Check out the new Climate Adaptation page on the DEC website
(coming soon)
29. Sandy and Irene: two different storms
• Irene: extreme rain event
• Sandy: extreme storm surge at height of spring tide
• The Perfect Storm? Irene plus Sandy
30. Flooding Impacts on the Kingston Waterfront
• Sewage Treatment Plant
• Marinas and other water dependent uses
• Adjacent Businesses
• Residential Areas
• Parks and other amenities
• Structures in the Waterways
31.
32. What can municipalities do?
• Assess and manage stormwater
• Build community awareness and consensus
• Plan for the future
• Evaluate Zoning and Code
• Work closely with developers and residents
33. Planning for the future in Kingston
• Kingston Comprehensive Master Plan
• Local Waterfront Revitalization Program
• Waterfront Development Implementation Plan
• Stormwater Management Plan
• Tidal Rondout Watershed Management Plan
• Brownfield Opportunity Area and 70 acre GEIS
• Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force
• Hazard Mitigation strategies
34. Funding Mechanisms
• Consolidated Funding Application Process
• Department of Environmental Conservation
• Department of State
• Office of Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation
• US DOC Economic Development Administration
• US DHS FEMA & Hazard Mitigation Funding
• USDA
• HUD Community Development Block Grants & Low interest loans
• Greenway Conservancy
• Local Development Corporations & Private Financing
35. Other important activities
• Kingston Conservation Advisory Council
• Climate Smart Community
• Climate Action Plan
• Natural Resources Inventory
• Open Space Plan
• Work with Planning Board
36. Wrap Up
• Hudson River Estuary Program
• Kingston Waterfront Flooding
Task Force
• Municipal perspective
• What you can do