Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force:

Libby Murphy Gregg Swanzey

Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell WRI Economic Development, City of Kingston

A case study for community-driven flooding adaptation.

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

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

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

Kingston Flooding Task ForceCase Study

Current situation

Community-driven process

Flooding Adaptation Strategies

•Fortify

•Accommodate

•Strategically Relocate

Fortify

Levee, New Orleans, LA Seawall, Beacon, NY

Elevated structures with flood gates, Hamburg, Germany

Accommodate

Floodable park concept, NYC

Steelhouse restaurant, Kingston, NY

Local example of accommodation

Strategic Relocation

Natural shoreline with gazebo, Cold Spring

Wetland with walkway concept, Toronto, Canada

Simulations

Kingston waterfront low tide

E Strand in Kingston

Kingston waterfrontSimulation: elevated sea level (4’) at low tide

4’ of Sea Level Rise

Kingston waterfront Simulation: elevated sea level (low tide), armored protection

Example of Fortify

Kingston waterfront Simulation: elevated sea level (low tide), vegetated revetment, floodproofed buildings

Example of Accommodate

Kingston waterfront Simulation: elevated sea level (low tide), strategic retreat

Example of Strategic Relocation

TF uses a variety of tools to reach consensus:•Participatory mapping• Surveys•Dot voting•Vulnerability and risk assessments•Cost Benefit Analysis•CSC planning assessment

Flood risk maps

Participatory Mapping

Scenario: damage from a 100-yr (1%) storm in 2013 with no sea level rise.

Cost benefit tool

Scenario: damage from a 100-yr (1%) storm in 2100 with high sea level rise.

Worse case scenarioYear 2100, With High Sea Level Rise and a 100-year Storm1% Probability of Occurrence in Any Given Year

Total Damage for this Event: $39.9 MillionDamage to Wastewater Treatment Plant: $27.6 Million

• Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise• Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise + Storm Surge

Cumulative Expected Damages by 2100With High Sea Level Rise = $126 Million

What can you do?

NYS 2100 Commission Report (2012)

NYS Sea Level Rise Task Force Report (2010)

Responding to Climate Change in NYS / ClimAID (2011)

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)

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

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

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

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

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

Other important activities

• Kingston Conservation Advisory Council• Climate Smart Community• Climate Action Plan• Natural Resources Inventory• Open Space Plan• Work with Planning Board

Wrap Up

• Hudson River Estuary Program

• Kingston Waterfront Flooding

Task Force

• Municipal perspective

• What you can do