Helping coastal communities address the impacts of coastal hazards such as recurrent flooding and storms is an important role for the Virginia CZM Program and a national priority for NOAA. 

Building community resilience means helping localities prepare for these hazards and adapt to the changing conditions brought about by climate change. 

Because many of the steps needed to build resilience need to be taken by local governments, the Virginia CZM Program has focused on supporting local capacity-building initiatives. Some have been regional scale projects designed to improve coordination and readiness, while others have provided new data or tools to help localities adapt.

Some important CZM-supported initiatives to improve community resilience have resulted in:

• Regional planning support and technical assistance for areas most affected by coastal hazards.
• Local and regional evaluations of resilience through the Resilience and Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT).
• Analyses and community training and evaluations to promote participation in the Community Rating System of the National Flood Insurance Program.
• Creation of a database of potential resilience-building projects to help better position Virginia to receive grant funds.
• Evaluation of cost-effective methodologies for determining first floor elevations of structures.
• A Roadmap to Resilience for the Northern Virginia region
• An analysis of the impacts of road flooding on affected areas.

Virginia CZM Program
Community Resilience Grant Projects