West Virginia University Researchers Develop Framework to Enhance Flood Resilience in Communities

Strategic Insights -

West Virginia University researchers, led by Associate Professor Aaron Maxwell, have developed a comprehensive framework, the West Virginia Flood Resiliency Framework (WVFRF), to help communities prepare for and recover from flood events. The framework, which was developed in collaboration with stakeholders and funded by the National Science Foundation's Civic Innovation Challenge, provides analytical and visualization tools to strengthen flood resiliency in West Virginia communities. This includes decision makers at local, state, regional, and federal levels, as well as floodplain managers, nonprofit organizations, planners, and emergency managers.

Key Takeaways:

  • The WVFRF offers a more effective framework for flood response and community recovery in West Virginia, improving flood-risk knowledge and identifying gaps in organizational capacity.
  • The tool's Risk Explorer can assess the number of critical facilities, historical assets, and residences that would be inundated by a 100-year flood event or gather information associated with the number of structures that have been impacted by prior flood events.
  • The framework contains resources such as the Best Practices Guide, designed to assist community leaders in preparing for and responding to flood disasters.
  • The West Virginia Hazard Library is an online database that allows stakeholders to search hazard resources specific to West Virginia, like the Best Practices Guide, floodplain manager trainings, and flood assessment survey results.
  • The framework has been tested and validated through collaborations with local and state organizations, including the West Virginia State Resiliency Office and the Center for Rural and Community Health at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine.
  • The WVFRF has the potential for expansion into other states with similar challenges, as researchers have had conversations with groups in North Carolina and eastern Kentucky.
  • The framework will be applicable in a variety of situations, including grant writing for communities, mitigation projects, and FEMA-related projects.

Statistics:

  • The 2016 flood in West Virginia, which was designated a "thousand-year rainfall event" by the National Weather Service, cost more than $1 billion and claimed 23 lives.
  • West Virginia has one of the highest per capita inland riverine flooding and landslide rates in the nation.
  • All 55 West Virginia counties have a high level of risk for flooding.
  • The state lacks a long-term flood recovery plan, leading to inefficient response to floods.

Sources:

  • West Virginia University Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
  • National Science Foundation's Civic Innovation Challenge
  • National Weather Service