Lower Northeast RISA

Supporting Preparedness and Response to Extreme Events: Consortium for weather and Climate risk across the Rural and Urban Northeast (CCRUN)

Compound extreme weather events (e.g., Nor’easters with high winds, storm surge, intense rainfall, and snow) are a primary focus in the Lower Northeast region (including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Eastern Pennsylvania) as communities struggle to cope with the extreme weather disruptions across scales from small towns to larger cities to critical infrastructure systems that connect across the entire region. CCRUN addresses the complex risks posed by the interactions of these natural hazards and socioeconomic stressors (e.g., access to safe and reliable electricity and water supplies). The proposed work adopts a use-inspired and stakeholder-driven approach to understand the hazards, stresses, and needs for data, information, tools, and other decision support. This project addresses three overarching questions about extreme weather in the Lower Northeast: 1) How do physical, ecological, engineering, social, and economic factors combine to affect preparedness and planning for extreme weather events? 2) What place-based, integrated strategies most effectively increase preparedness to extreme weather risks, particularly compound events? 3) Which decision support tools effectively support the adoption of those strategies, advancing preparedness and planning, and how do they do so? Through a series of sector-specific applications and two integrated projects, we will co-develop, test, and refine actionable knowledge, novel solutions, and usable science aimed at improving preparedness and planning processes for weather extremes, thereby reducing risk to lives, health and wellbeing, property, natural resources, and the economy. One integrated project aims to build economic resilience to extreme weather events and seasonal weather variability, focusing on areas with economies highly dependent on weather-sensitive natural resources and amenity-based activities. The other integrated project aims to improve preparedness to flooding with two types of information: impact forecasts and assessments of tradeoffs between different flood preparedness strategies. We will evaluate all project products and co-develop approaches for scaling up access and application across the Lower Northeast and beyond through an AI interface. CCRUN’s integrated workplan, experienced interdisciplinary team, and partners spanning inland and coastal domains (including rural, exurban, suburban, and urban contexts, and local governments, business and local organizations, and utility companies) will support the development, evaluation, and refinement of state-of-the-art and usable tools, services, and data to protect life and property and promote increased readiness for communities across the region.