In NYS, we're convening Municipal Waterfront Flooding Task Forces so community members can do a deep dive into their flood risks, vulnerability and adaptation options. The process includes a Cost Benefit Analysis of adaptation scenarios and culminates in a final report and recommendations. You can learn about our process in Kingston, NY here. If you want to stay updated on our latest projects, events, and funding and job opportunities, please sign up for our Climate Resiliency Newsletter: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/NYSDEC/subscriber/new?topic_id=NYSDEC_147

1. Visions for a Flood Resilient Waterfront
Examples from the Kingston Flooding Task Force
Libby Murphy
Hudson River Estuary Program/Cornell WRI
NYSFSMA Annual Conference
March 27, 2014

2. Outline
• The Hudson River Estuary Program
• Kingston Waterfront Flooding Task Force
• What can you do?
• Questions

3. The Hudson River Estuary Program assists
communities with climate resilience
• 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

4. Current situation

5. Sea level rise
Historic:
• 15” in NY Harbor in the past 150 years
Future:
100-yr coastal flood to 25-yr, by 2100 (SLR alone)
•Enhanced storm surge
•More severe storms

6. December 2012: the Mayor appoints a Task
Force

7. TF uses a variety of tools to reach consensus:
• Visioning of key themes
• Participatory mapping
• Selection of planning horizons
• Mapping of vulnerability and risk
• Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool
• Flood adaptation strategies and simulations
• Cost Benefit Analysis

8. Key themes
• Waterfront history and “sense of place”
•Economy and economic revitalization
•Health and safety
•Natural systems to reduce flood risk
•Secure infrastructure
•Kingston’s Climate Action Plan

9. Participatory Mapping

10. The Task Force chose projections for Kingston to
plan for:
Year
Sea Level Rise
Scenario
2060 2100
Low 20 inches 33 inches
High 36 inches 68 inches

11. Kingston piloted the Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool
for NYS DEC
Community Plan Checklist
Plans, Ordinances, and Codes Yes No
Adoption
Year
Update
Frequency
Notes
Municipal Master Plan X 1961
Kingston is currently working on a new
comprehensive plan targeted to 2025. Timeline is
not yet set.
Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan X 2009 5 years
This plan is for Ulster County and is currently being
updated and will be complete in 2014. The existing
one implies that Kingston is not tidal.
Floodplain Management Plan X
There is flood hazard overlay district (2009) within
city zoning ordinance, sec 405-26.
Evacuation Plan X
Ulster County has a detour evacuation route plan
that mostly covers major highways. It is an annex to
the county CEMP.
Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan
X 3 Years Kingston is currently updating this plan.
Continuity of Operations Plan X

12. Kingston has many strengths in
terms of planning

13. Three areas of opportunities for Kingston to
incorporate flood-preparedness
Outreach an collaboration
Zoning, building codes and regulation
Planning
www.kingstoncac.org

14. Scenario: damage from a 100-yr (1%)
storm in 2013 with no sea level rise.
Risk and vulnerability
mapping
Scenario: damage from a 100-yr (1%)
storm in 2100 with high sea level rise.

15. 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: $39.9 Million
Damage to Wastewater Treatment Plant: $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

16. General flood adaptation strategies
• Fortify
• Accommodate
• Strategically Relocate

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

18. Elevated structures with flood gates,
Hamburg, Germany
Accommodate
Elevate building systems

19. Steelhouse restaurant and Clearwater boathouse, Kingston, NY
Local examples of accommodation

20. Strategic Relocation
Natural shoreline with gazebo, Esopus MeadowsStaten Island, NY

21. Site scale: what NYC is recommending

22. Regional scale: what NYC is recommending

23. Simulations

24. Kingston waterfront low tide
E Strand in Kingston

25. 4’ of Sea Level Rise
Kingston waterfront
Simulation: elevated sea level (4’) at low tide

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

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

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

29. POTENTIAL ADAPTATION SOLUTIONS

30. 100 Year Storm in 2060
Buildings Damaged by Storm Surge from this Single Event (Height of Bar indicates relative damage amount)
Buildings Permanently Inundated due to Sea Level Rise by this Year, if No Action is Taken
Extent of Flooding from this Event
COAST: cost benefit tool

31. BENEFIT COST ANALYSIS OF ADAPTATION STRATEGIES – KINGSTON
Scenario B:
WITH ELEVATION OF EAST STRAND
STREET
TO 11 FEET (NAVD 88)
Scenario C:
WITH ELEVATION OF BULKHEAD/WITH
PATH
TO 11 FEET (NAVD 88)
Scenario D:
PURCHASES OF ROLLING
EASEMENTS, WITH TRANSFER OF
TITLE TO CITY AT 2060 OR WHEN
MHHW REACHES
6.0 FEET (NAVD 88)
Low SLR High SLR Low SLR High SLR Low SLR High SLR
46,400,000 44,100,000 46,400,000 44,100,000 46,400,000 44,100,000
4,900,000 4,700,000 241,000 466,900 36,900,000 39,576,000
41,500,000 39,400,000 46,159,000 43,633,100 9,500,000 4,524,000
9,800,000 6,200,000 22,540,000
4.2 4.0 7.4 7.0 3.7 1.8
Cumulative Damage to East
Strand Study Area With No
Action1
Cumulative Damage with
Adaptation Strategy in Place1
Avoided Damage (Row 1 –
Row 2) or
BENEFIT
Estimated COST of Adaptation
Strategy
BENEFIT/COST Ratio
(The higher the number
above 1, the more favorable
the ratio.)
1Discount Rate of 3.3% applied.
2Does not include purchase of easements at five city-owned properties, and sewage treatment plant remains unprotected.

32. Final recommendations fall into 6 categories:
• City operations, funding and decision-making
• Resilient structures
• Promotion of a waterfront economy and economic revitalization
• Collaboration and public outreach
• Emergency management
• Site-based recommendations

33. Some highlights from the final
recommendations:
• Ensure that zoning designations in the Kingston 2025
Comprehensive Plan consider increasing risk and
vulnerability from flooding and sea-level rise.
• Develop a Kingston Waterfront Long-term Resiliency Plan.
• Ensure that all relevant City staff and elected and appointed
officials are fully trained in and expected to incorporate impacts
of flooding and sea-level rise into their daily work.

34. Some highlights from the final
recommendations:
• Reduce stormwater, upland flooding and combined sewer overflows
through green infrastructure and best stormwater management
practices.
• Evaluate the use of natural buffers and green shoreline infrastructure
to reduce flood risk and erosion and conserve natural resource
functions.
• Develop a plan to mitigate both near- and long- term risk to the
wastewater treatment facility.

35. City Council unanimously adopts the final report
and recommendations in December 2013

36. Next Steps
• Buy-in from community and municipal staff
• Comprehensive plan, emergency management
• Funding and financial, hazard mitigation $5M
HREP funded task forces in Catskill, Piermont and Stony Point

37. What can you do?
See documentation of the entire process in
Kingston: www.kingstoncac.org

38. Get involved with NY’s Climate Smart Communities
116 in
NYS

39. What else can you do?
Know your risks:
• Sea level rise webviewer, Hudson River, by Scenic Hudson
http://www.scenichudson.org/slr/mapper
Know how to plan:
• Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool by DEC
http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/csrptool.pdf
• NYCPlanning Urban Waterfront Adaptive Strategies
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/sustainable_communities/sustain_com7.shtml
• View our slides on flood adaptation strategies http://www.slideshare.net/hrepclimate
Know the latest opportunities:
• Sign up for our Climate Resiliency in the Hudson River Estuary Newsletter
http://goo.gl/GYvVs2

40. Questions?
Thank you.
Libby Murphy
Hudson River Estuary Program
(845) 256-3016
ecmurphy@gw.dec.state.ny.us

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

43. What can municipalities do?
•Green infrastructure to manage stormwater
•§ 405-26. Flood Hazard Overlay District
•FEMA Flood Insurance Rates
•FEMA Community Rating System
•Rolling Easements
•Other Land Use Tools
•Build community awareness and consensus
•Evaluate Zoning and Code

44. 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