Heat

To help Americans anticipate how changing climate conditions might affect their homes and businesses, the United States Global Change Research Program conducts a comprehensive review of scientific information on climate trends and impacts in our country every four years. The 5th National Climate Assessment — often referred to as NCA5 — was published in 2023.

This Interactive Atlas provides access to data compiled for NCA5. Browse the collection for your own investigations, or access the data for custom analysis and mapping.

The Fifth National Climate Assessment is the US Government’s preeminent report on climate change impacts, risks, and responses. It is a congressionally mandated interagency effort that provides the scientific foundation to support informed decision-making across the United States.

This fact sheet for Conservation Commissions in Connecticut reviews the role of these commissions for enhancing the climate resilience of their communities. The resource was developed by CIRCA and covers the authority and duties of conservation commissions as well as detailing specific strategies and approaches.

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

This study by Seth et al. provides up-to-date information on observed trends and projections of temperature and precipitation in Connecticut.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program’s guiding principles are to support communities through capability and capacity building, encourage and enable innovation; promote partnerships, enable large projects, maintain flexibility, and provide consistency.

EPA is accepting applications on a rolling basis for $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding available to support community-driven projects that build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges, strengthen their climate resilience, and advance clean energy.

Connecticut EJ Screening Tool is an interactive resource that combines both community and data-driven approach that incorporates environmental burdens and demographic indicators. This map allows users to explore the environmental health and the conditions (socioeconomic and or other distinguishing community characteristics) within a specific region, town, city, and or entire state.

The data included in this map finalize into a score that allows users to understand the relationship between the community and environmental justice. Through the presentation of this information, citizens and policymakers alike can understand what communities are experiencing and form policies that reshape these matters.

The EPOC Grant Program provides non-profit and not-for-profit environmental advocacy groups, community based groups and environmental education organizations funding for local projects that benefit the environment.

The Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England’s main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks to protect and improve human health and the quality of life. he Healthy Communities Grant Program will achieve this through identifying and funding projects that:
– Target resources to benefit communities at risk.
– Assess, understand, and reduce environmental and human health risks.
– Increase collaboration through partnerships and community-based projects.
– Build institutional and community capacity to understand and solve environmental and human health problems.
– Achieve measurable environmental and human health benefits.

The Connecticut Society for Women Environmental Professionals Grant Program provides funding for local projects in Connecticut that benefit the environment. Grants of up to $2,000 will be awarded. Any application meeting the grant guidelines that is not successful in one cycle may reapply during any following cycle. The applications will be judged based on the environmental benefits of each project, in comparison to others. “Environmental benefits” can vary widely and successful applications have ranged from property clean-ups to environmental education.

Awards small grants in support of grassroots efforts and community-based environmental work in New England. The Grassroots Fund utilizes participatory grantmaking to move resources to New England grassroots groups working at the intersections of Environmental Justice. The program is geared toward groups who have some experience implementing a project in their community. Grants support groups to deepen their work by further developing a community vision, lowering barriers to participation, identifying new stakeholders, and working to bring more voices and lived experiences into core decision-making processes.

Sustainable CT’s Community Match Fund is an innovative program that provides fast, flexible funding and support for engaging your community on wide-ranging sustainability projects. Eligible projects receive dollar-for-dollar matching funds from Sustainable CT.

Under the Inflation Reduction Act, the Forest Service received a historic $1.5 billion to its Urban and Community Forestry program to support tree-planting, urban forest planning and management, and related activities, particularly in disadvantaged communities. In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for competitive grants for proposals that provide equitable access to trees and nature, and the benefits they provide, especially in disadvantaged urban communities.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program will support states, local communities, tribes and territories as they undertake hazard mitigation projects, reducing the risks they face from disasters and natural hazards. The BRIC program’s guiding principles are to support communities through capability and capacity building, encourage and enable innovation; promote partnerships, enable large projects, maintain flexibility, and provide consistency.

With support from the Nature Conservancy and Sustainable CT, East Haddam organized a Community Resilience Building process and workshop, the results of which were compiled into this summary. The team engaged with community members to determine the present hazards and vulnerabilities and identify resilient solutions.

Suffolk County and the local governments within Suffolk County developed a FEMA approved Hazard Mitigation Plan, which documents risks from natural hazards and strategies to mitigate hazards.

Information from the NYS Department of Health (DOH) on extreme heat impacts and resources for the public.

This mapper, developed through the New York Climate Act, was developed by the State Climate Justice Working Group to identify disadvantaged communities to ensure that frontline and otherwise underserved communities benefit from the state’s historic transition to cleaner, greener sources of energy, reduced pollution and cleaner air, and economic opportunities. The interactive map identifies areas throughout the State that meet the disadvantaged community Criteria as defined by the Climate Justice Working Group.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities (CEC) program helps local governments to implement clean energy actions, save energy costs, create jobs, and improve the environment. In addition to providing tools, resources, funding opportunities and technical assistance, the program recognizes and rewards leadership for the completion of clean energy projects and guides a path toward the Clean Energy Communities designation. Find your local CEC Coordinator to start!

The 2022 State Climate Summaries provide new information on assessment topics directly related to NOAA’s mission, specifically historical climate variations and trends, future climate model projections of climate conditions during the 21st century, and past and future conditions of sea level and coastal flooding. Select your state to find state-level information for observed changes in climate, including both long-term trends and extreme weather events.

Neighborhoods at Risk is an easy-to-use website with interactive maps, charts, and resources to help communities identify neighborhoods that may be more impacted by climate change. It shows where people may experience unequal impacts from flooding and extreme heat.

The Nassau County Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed through a year-long interactive planning process in close coordination with stakeholders. The process included identifying the hazards of concern within the County, assessing those hazards, estimating risk, and developing a strategy to mitigate risk to these hazards throughout the County.

RAPT provides access to important data and analysis tools to support your community before, during and after a disaster.

This Story map illustrates climate change projections, considering scenarios that factor in temperature, precipitation, extreme heat, storms, and sea level.

Connecticut-specific site with maps, data, and visualization tools. Contains: Blue Plan, MS4 Viewer, CT Parcel Viewer, Sea Level Rise Effects on Roads & Marshes, CT DEEP Fish Community Data – Inland Waters, CT Aquaculture Mapping Atlas, CT Coastal Hazards Viewer, Carbon Stock & Land Cover Viewer

The CCVI combines built, social, and ecological factors to identify areas that are vulnerable to flooding and heat related impacts of climate change. These mapping tools can be used to view vulnerability at both a regional scale and at specific sites to see how factors are contributing.

This booklet from the EPA and CDC summarizes why extreme heat is on the rise, how it might affect people, and outlines steps to prepare for extreme heat events to reduce health risks.

Provides resources that help Connecticut’s municipal leaders fill gaps in local
extreme heat planning including
1. Communication templates
2. Cooling center best practices
3. A diverse collection of policy and planning actions
4. Advice on creating a heat response plan
Also provides Connecticut-specific information on how extreme heat impacts the
health of residents, especially vulnerable people, and extreme heat safety tips.

This online information session held Sept. 19, and repeated Sept. 21, provides an introduction to resilience planning in the Long Island Sound region. It includes discussions on local climate impacts and projections, resilience planning strategies, and climate certification programs for both New York and Connecticut municipalities. In addition to the main presentation, videos of the Connecticut and New York breakout sessions can be accessed below. The presentations and other resource materials are available here.