SESWA's Stormwater Policy Committee developed a series of articles focused on different issues related to climate change and stormwater. During the preparation of this information stormwater program managers and other stormwater professionals provided input on each topic area. The information gathered is provided below as reference materials for SESWA’s membership. All the articles are listed below, enjoy!

Climate Change Threats to Stormwater Programs and Future Planning
What are the critical threats that you are facing relative to climate change? When asked this question, stormwater programs across the Southeast provided answers in two forms. The first related to what aspect of climate change (flooding, rainfall, heat) was most important and the second focused on local government’s ability to respond. Read More

Flood Recovery Success Stories
“It has flooded here before but never to this extent;” this is a common quote from homeowners who have experienced flooding. If your home (and the homes of all your neighbors) were to unexpectedly flood tonight, what would you do, who would you turn to? This is the scenario that occurred in 2019 along the Catawba River in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read More

Resiliency: Inland & Coastal Modeling
Climate change is a major threat to both coastal and inland communities in the southeastern United States. There are multiple ways to assess flood risk through various modeling and data analysis approaches. As we all look to better understand risk for future planning, the following briefly discusses approaches for inland and coastal community stormwater system modeling. Read More

BMPs & Resiliency
In the face of escalating climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, the imperative to fortify urban environments against the impacts of stormwater runoff has never been more critical. Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) emerge as indispensable tools in fostering urban resilience, serving as a frontline defense to mechanism to mitigate the adverse... Read More

Soft Solutions for Resiliency
This month, as we continue our dive into resiliency, the focus is “Soft Solutions.”  There can be a number of approaches to strengthen preservation ordinances for buffers and floodplains that go beyond the state minimum standards like the use of designated conservation overlays or other zoning strategies; buyout programs for repetitive loss properties; participation in Community Rating System... Read More

Federal Funding Options for Resilience-Related Projects
Funding for resilience-related projects is available through numerous federal and state programs as well as non-government organizations, non-profits, and various other sources. This article provides resources and highlights just a few federal funding programs as of the date of publication (March 2024) and provides awareness of project types that may be eligible for funding in the upcoming 2024 grant cycles. Read More