A case study on the Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force as presented at the Flood Management conference at Cary Institute in May, 2013.

1. Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force:
A case study for community-driven flooding adaptation.
Libby Murphy
Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell WRI
Gregg Swanzey
Economic Development, City of Kingston

2. Outline
• The Hudson River Estuary Program
• Case Study: Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force
• What can you do?
• Municipal perspective from Gregg Swanzey
• Wrap up
• Questions

3. Hudson River Estuary Program
Core Mission
• Ensure clean water
• Protect and restore fish, wildlife, and their
habitats
• Provide water recreation and river access
• Adapt to climate change
• Conserve world-famous scenery

4. Climate Change & The Hudson River Estuary Program
• Climate Smart Communities
• Flooding Task Forces
• Watershed Resiliency
• Watershed planning
• Green infrastructure
• Assessing culverts for correct sizing
• Assessing dams for removal or repair
• Trees for Tribs (stream buffer restoration)
• Biodiversity Resiliency

5. Kingston Flooding Task Force
Case Study

6. Current situation

7. Community-driven process

8. Flooding Adaptation Strategies
•Fortify
•Accommodate
•Strategically Relocate

9. Fortify
Levee, New Orleans, LA
Seawall, Beacon, NY

10. Accommodate
Floodable park concept, NYC
Elevated structures with flood gates,
Hamburg, Germany

11. Local example of accommodation
Steelhouse restaurant, Kingston, NY

12. Strategic Relocation
Wetland with walkway concept, Toronto, Canada
Natural shoreline with gazebo, Cold Spring

13. Simulations

14. E Strand in Kingston
Kingston waterfront low tide

15. 4’ of Sea Level Rise
Kingston waterfront
Simulation: elevated sea level (4’) at low tide

16. Example of Fortify
Kingston waterfront
Simulation: elevated sea level (low tide), armored protection

17. Example of Accommodate
Kingston waterfront
Simulation: elevated sea level (low tide), vegetated
revetment, floodproofed buildings

18. Example of Strategic Relocation
Kingston waterfront
Simulation: elevated sea level (low tide), strategic retreat

19. TF uses a variety of tools to reach consensus:
• Participatory mapping
• Surveys
• Dot voting
• Vulnerability and risk assessments
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• CSC planning assessment

20. Flood risk maps

21. Participatory Mapping

22. Cost benefit tool
Scenario: damage from a 100-yr (1%)
storm in 2100 with high sea level rise.
2013
no sea level rise.

23. Worse case scenario
Year 2100, With High Sea Level Rise and a 100-year Storm
1% Probability of Occurrence in Any Given Year
Total Damage for this Event:
Damage to Wastewater Treatment Plant:
$39.9 Million
$27.6 Million
• Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise
• Lost Value Due to Sea Level Rise + Storm Surge
Cumulative Expected Damages by 2100
With High Sea Level Rise = $126 Million

24. What can you do?

26. NYS 2100 Commission Report
(2012)
NYS Sea Level Rise Task Force
Report (2010)
Responding to Climate Change
in NYS / ClimAID (2011)

28. What else can you do?
• Stay in touch with the Hudson River Estuary Program
• CanVIS free visualization tool by NOAA
• Sea level rise webviewer, Hudson River, by Scenic Hudson
(coming soon)
• Check out the new Climate Adaptation page on the DEC website
(coming soon)

29. Sandy and Irene: two different storms
• Irene: extreme rain event
• Sandy: extreme storm surge at height of spring tide
• The Perfect Storm? Irene plus Sandy

30. Flooding Impacts on the Kingston Waterfront
• Sewage Treatment Plant
• Marinas and other water dependent uses
• Adjacent Businesses
• Residential Areas
• Parks and other amenities
• Structures in the Waterways

32. What can municipalities do?
• Assess and manage stormwater
• Build community awareness and consensus
• Plan for the future
• Evaluate Zoning and Code
• Work closely with developers and residents

33. Planning for the future in Kingston
• Kingston Comprehensive Master Plan
• Local Waterfront Revitalization Program
• Waterfront Development Implementation Plan
• Stormwater Management Plan
• Tidal Rondout Watershed Management Plan
• Brownfield Opportunity Area and 70 acre GEIS
• Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force
• Hazard Mitigation strategies

34. Funding Mechanisms
• Consolidated Funding Application Process
• Department of Environmental Conservation
• Department of State
• Office of Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation
• US DOC Economic Development Administration
• US DHS FEMA & Hazard Mitigation Funding
• USDA
• HUD Community Development Block Grants & Low interest loans
• Greenway Conservancy
• Local Development Corporations & Private Financing

35. Other important activities
• Kingston Conservation Advisory Council
• Climate Smart Community
• Climate Action Plan
• Natural Resources Inventory
• Open Space Plan
• Work with Planning Board

36. Wrap Up
• Hudson River Estuary Program
• Kingston Waterfront Flooding
Task Force
• Municipal perspective
• What you can do