Hazard Mitigation Planning Tools

This is a list of tools that have been found useful in preparing hazard mitigation plans within the Southern Region of the United States. Some tools have information for all six states, while others (listed farther down) are more state-specific. Please contact us at srcc@tamu.edu if you find a broken link or wish to propose a tool to add to the lists.

State Climate Summaries Links

All Six Southern Region States

AMS: Long-Duration Freezing Rain Events over North America: Regional Climatology and Thermodynamic Evolution
Hazard Type/s: Winter, Precipitation, Temperature
  • About the tool: Freezing rain can cause severe impacts, particularly when it persists for many hours. In this paper, we present the climatology of long-duration (6 or more hours) freezing rain events in the United States and Canada from 1979 to 2016. We identify three focus regions from this climatology and examine the archetypal thermodynamic evolution of events in each region using surface and radiosonde observations. Long-duration events occur most frequently in the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada, where freezing rain typically begins as lower-tropospheric warm-air advection develops the warm layer aloft. This warm-air advection and the latent heat of fusion released when rain freezes at the surface erode the cold layer, and freezing rain transitions to rain once the surface temperature reaches 0°C. In the southeastern United States, a larger percentage of events are of long duration than elsewhere in North America. Weak surface cold-air advection and evaporative cooling in the particularly dry onset cold layers there prevent surface temperatures from rising substantially during events. Finally, the south-central United States has a regional maximum in the occurrence of the top 1% of events by duration (18 or more hours), despite the relative rarity of freezing rain there. These events are associated with particularly warm/deep onset warm layers, with persistent low-level cold-air advection maintaining the cold layer. The thermodynamic evolutions we have identified highlight characteristics that are key to supporting persistent freezing rain in each region and may warrant particular attention from forecasters tasked with predicting these events
  • Instructions: view or download
CUSEC: Regional Information Sharing Tools
Hazard Type/s: Earthquake
  • About the tool: The Regional Information Sharing Platform (RISP) is a cloud-based tool that provides emergency managers access to critical information and decision support tools. The RISP is based on a system of systems approach, using cloud-based technologies to provide accurate, timely data on Community Lifelines, Essential Elements of Information (EEIs), maps, and analytical tools. Managed by CUSEC, the RISP aggregates information and data from multiple sources including state, federal, and private sector partners.
  • Instructions: CUSEC maintains a variety of maps, geographic information systems (GIS), and data sets. These products provide information about potential earthquake hazards and risks to the public and communities. They also provide emergency managers and planners with enhanced information sharing and plan development capabilities. Use the links below to browse through our GIS and information sharing products. You can also visit cusec.maps.arcgis.com to view content.
Earth.gov: Sea Level Rise Technical Report
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This multi-agency report is a product of the Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard and Tools Interagency Task Force and provides the most up-to-date sea level rise projections through 2150 for all U.S. coastal waters.
  • Instructions: This report synthesizes the science of sea level rise, informs decision makers and communities about their potential risks from current and future sea level rise, and is a key input to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). A Companion Application Guide to integrate this information into planning processes and adaptation decisions is accessible at https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/sealevelrise/sealevelrise-tech-report-sections.html#application-guide (click Download the Companion Application Guide to access the document).
EPA: Air Compare
Hazard Type/s: Air Quality
  • About the tool: This interactive map displays county-based trends for the five AQI air pollutants that may affect human health. For data limitations specific to this tool, including the pollutants that are accounted for in the analyses, click on the Basic Info tab at the top of the page, then Data Limitations on the right side of the page. Note: For information on the predominant directions in which air pollutants flow, refer to the Wind Rose Plots tool
  • Instructions: 1. Scroll down until you see the map. 2. In the upper lefthand corner of the map, click on Trends, then select category of interest. 3. Zoom in and click county of interest to obtain a graph of annual statistics. Counties shaded darker blue have data available. You can click multiple counties to compare locations. Each graph appears above the map. 4. For data broken down into months, click on Seasons in the upper lefthand corner, then select the group of interest.
EPA: Nonattainment Areas for Criteria Pollutants (Green Book)
Hazard Type/s: Air Quality
  • About the tool: This interactive mapping tool displays areas that are not currently within EPA regulations of the criteria pollutants.
  • Instructions: 1. Select the criteria of interest from the lists on the page. 2. On the criteria pollutant page, scroll down to section 4C (under Area Maps) and click the Interactive Map link. 3. Dark blue shaded areas on the map are nonattainment areas. 4. To view information for specific monitoring sites, zoom and pan to the area of interest and click the point. Access the legend on the top right of the screen.
EPA: Outdoor Air Quality Data-Air Data - Multiyear Tile Plot
Hazard Type/s: Air Quality
  • About the tool: This multi-year tile plotting tool shows the daily AQI pollutant values for a specific location or time period. Each tile represents one day of the year and is color-coded based on the AQI level for that day.
  • Instructions: 1. Under Pollutant, select pollutant of choice (e.g., Ozone, All AQI Pollutants). 2. Under Period, select a beginning and ending year (maximum of 25 years). 3. Under Geographical Area, select a city or county. Note: cities available are listed in the Ozone Exceedences tool above. 4. Click Plot Data. The legend is located below the plot.
EPA: Ozone Exceedances
Hazard Type/s: Air Quality
  • About the tool: This interactive graphing tool compares 8-hour ozone exceedances between two years or multi-year periods for a city or county. Comparisons are shown by day, month, and year. The ozone exceedance level for this tool is 0.070ppm.
  • Instructions: 1. Under Geographic Area, select a city/county of interest 2. Under Baseline Period, select either a single year or a multi-year period and the year(s) in which you are interested. 3. Under Comparison Period, select either a single year or a multi-year period and the year(s) in which you are interested in. 4. You may need to uncheck Use ALL Monitors when comparing time periods if data aren’t available for both periods. 5. Click Plot Data.
FEMA: FEMA Flood Map Service Center
Hazard Type/s: Flood, Coastal
  • About the tool: This website can locate and identify flood hazard zones in a jurisdiction and produce maps for use in a hazard mitigation plan. When combined with other map layers, it can provide a spatial relationship between flood hazard zones and critical facilities and infrastructure. Note that the 100-yr floodplain is an estimate used for insurance and regulatory purposes. Floods can and do occur outside of the areas depicted. Note: This tool is a little more involved than some of the others and it is helpful to use a larger computer screen because of the amount of data shown.
  • Instructions: 1. Enter an address, place, or coordinates in the search bar. 2. Click Search. 3. Click Streets view in upper right corner. 4. The panel of land outlined in light blue is what will be mapped. If you need another panel, click on the one of interest. (Zoom out if needed. It may take a few seconds.) 5. Zoom in to view details. Note the legend below the map and effective date in bold above the map. 6. To download a black and white static image of full original FIRM panel, click on the Map Image icon. To access a colored map, click on the Dynamic Map icon. You may need to disable your browser’s pop-up blocker.
FEMA: State Mitigation Plan Review Guide
Hazard Type/s: All
  • About the tool: PDF download of the most recent FEMA State Mitigation Plan Review Guide (as of Sep. 2025)
  • Instructions: Hazard mitigation planning reduces loss of life and property by minimizing the impact of disasters. It begins with state, tribal and local governments identifying natural disaster risks and vulnerabilities that are common in their area. After identifying these risks, they develop long-term strategies for protecting people and property from similar events. Mitigation plans are key to breaking the cycle of disaster damage and reconstruction.
First Street: Risk Factor
Hazard Type/s: Various
  • About the tool: This (paid services) tool provides information on flood risk and how it is changing. It shows the trend in number of properties at risk, a specific property’s flood risk score, the flood history of an area, how an area’s flood risk is expected to change in the next 30 years, and community solutions for flood mitigation.
  • Instructions: 1. Type in the county, city, or zip code of interest. 2. Click the Flood Factor tab near the top of the page. 3. Scroll down the page to view flood risk information. Note: Many features on this tool are behind a paywall. If you want information for specific homes and businesses or want to dive deeper into the information, then payment is required. However, you can receive the baseline information above for free.
ISU-IEM: Wind Rose Plots
Hazard Type/s: Wind, Wildfire
  • About the tool: View common and prominent wind speeds and directions for your area. Plots can be viewed by monthly average and by the long-term yearly average. This tool can be used to view the wind climatology and the predominant direction in which air pollutants flow. It may also be useful for understanding how wildfire events may evolve in a community.
  • Instructions: 1. In the Select By Network section, choose Texas ASOS then click Switch Network. 2. Select station of interest, either from the list or map, then click Select Station. 3. You will be brought to a new page. Near the top of the page, click on the Wind Roses tab. 4. The yearly climatology is displayed at the top of the page, and monthly climatologies are displayed below that. Click View Raw Data on any plot to view more details.
MRCC: Freeze Maps-Experimental
Hazard Type/s: Winter, Temperature
  • About the tool: This tool shows the average dates of the earliest fall freeze and latest spring freeze. Maps can be used to understand the times of the year in which you might experience temperatures below freezing for your area. https://mrcc.purdue.edu/clim
  • Instructions: 1. Click 28°F (or 32°F) FREEZE CLIMATOLOGIES on the left-hand side of the page to view the average dates of first/last freezes. Click any of the subcategories to view earliest, first, median, late, or latest freeze information. 2. Click on your area of interest on the map to zoom in to a county-level view. Note: To only view station points on the map and remove the shaded regions, click Show Only Points (no shading) at the top of the page. 3. To view an interactive map with station information, click All Frost/Freeze Products at the top right of the page, then choose GIS Freeze Maps Interface.
MRCC: Heat Index
Hazard Type/s: Temperature
  • About the tool: Part of the MRCC's Climatologies Suit of Tools: https://mrcc.purdue.edu/clim - This set of maps depict the average number of days, day with 3 or more hours, and average number of hours per year with heat index values at or below a variety of thresholds (e.g., 90°F, 100°F, -110°F).
  • Instructions: 1. Near the top of the page, click on the map link of interest out of the three options: Average Number of Days, Days with 3 or More Hours, or Average Number of Hours. Right above the map, mouse over the wind chill temperature value of interest to view the corresponding data on the map. 3. To interpret the colors, see the legend on the top-right side of the map. 4. To view more detailed information, such as station data, click the GIS Maps button on the top right of the page.
MRCC: Ice Storms
Hazard Type/s: Winter, Storm, Precipitation, Temperature
  • About the tool: One type of winter storm that can be particularly damaging is the ice storm - a storm in which freezing rain occurs and glazes roads and other exposed outdoor surfaces.
  • Instructions: Scroll down to area of interest
MRCC: Snowfall Climatology Toolbox
Hazard Type/s: Winter, Precipitation
  • About the tool: This interactive tool shows normal (1991-2020) annual and monthly snowfall, average annual number of days with snow totals at certain thresholds, average first and last snow date, and record 1-day snowfall. The map displays normal values while the graph below it shows the variable by year.
  • Instructions: This interactive tool shows normal (1991-2020) annual and monthly snowfall, average annual number of days with snow totals at certain thresholds, average first and last snow date, and record 1-day snowfall. The map displays normal values while the graph below it shows the variable by year.
MRCC: Tornado Tracks Tool
Hazard Type/s: Tornado
  • About the tool: This is an interactive tool that shows historical tornado track details by track location or county. Consider nearby storm tracks, even if they did not hit your location, because small changes in storm motion can bring a tornado into your town.
  • Instructions: Select area of interest either by zooming or entering a location into the search box. 2. Use panel on the left side of the screen to select variables of interest. Options include by Magnitude, Year Range, Month, and Casualties. 3. To view information about a tornado track, select Track/Point in the left panel and click the track on the map. 4. To view an image of all tornado tracks in a county, click County from the left panel and click a county on the map. Click the thumbnail in the pop-up box for a larger map of the county’s tornado tracks.
MRCC: Wind Chill Days and Hours
Hazard Type/s: Winter, Wind, Temperature
  • About the tool: This set of maps depict the average number of days, day with 3 or more hours, and average number of hours per year with wind chill values at or below a variety of thresholds (e.g., 15°F, 0°F, -10°F).
  • Instructions: 1. Near the top of the page, click on the map link of interest out of the three options: Average Number of Days, Days with 3 or More Hours, or Average Number of Hours. Right above the map, mouse over the wind chill temperature value of interest to view the corresponding data on the map. 3. To interpret the colors, see the legend on the top-right side of the map. 4. To view more detailed information, such as station data, click the GIS Maps button on the top right of the page.
NASA: FIRMS-Fire Information for Resource Management System
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: Providing Active Fire Data for Near-Real Time Monitoring and Applications, The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) distributes Near Real-Time (NRT) active fire data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellites, and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard S-NPP, NOAA 20 and NOAA 21 (formally known as JPSS-1 and JPSS-2). Globally these data are available within 3 hours of satellite observation, but for the US and Canada active fire detections are available in real-time.
  • Instructions: The active fire / hotspot data can be viewed in FIRMS Fire Map or in NASA’s Worldview , delivered as email alerts or downloaded in the following formats: SHP, KML, TXT, WMS FIRMS is part of NASA’s Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EO (LANCE). Fire Data Academy features examples of analyzing and visualizing fire data using Google Colaboratory (Colab), Jupyter Notebooks, and Python. For Tips, Suggestions and What's new visit FIRMS Blog
NationalAcademies : Attribution of Extreme Weather Events in the Context of Climate Change
Hazard Type/s: All
  • About the tool: (To access for free, the report can be viewed online or a PDF can be downloaded by creating a free account.) This National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report examines the current state of science of extreme weather attribution and identifies ways to move the science forward to improve attributing capabilities. The following infographic provides an overview of the report and how climate change is affecting extreme weather: https://www.nap.edu/resource/21852/extremeweather-infographic.pdf.
  • Instructions: download free pdf
NCEI: Climate at a Glance - Divisional Time Series
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Precipitaiton, Winter, Drought, Severe Thunderstorm
  • About the tool: This graph shows the average annual heating degree days (HDD) and trend over time, a measurement used to quantify the demand for energy needed to heat buildings.
  • Instructions: 1. Within the Parameter drop-down menu, choose Heating Degree Days. 2. Within Time Scale, choose Annual. 3. Within Start Year, choose desired start year. 4. Within State, choose Arkansas. 5. Within Climate Division, choose desired region of interest. 6. Under Options box, check Display Base Period and select 1991 and 2020 to show the most recent 30-year trend. 7. Check Display Trend, select per Decade, 1895, and present year to show the longterm trend and decadal change. 8. Click Plot button. Note: A few seconds are required to generate the graph.
NCEI: Snowfall Extremes
Hazard Type/s: Winter, Precipitation, Extremes
  • About the tool: Select a state from the menu below to access 1-, 2-, and 3-day snowfall maximums from each county and the location at which it occurred. Values are in inches. Data were last updated on August 20, 2025 to accommodate data through June 30, 2025.
  • Instructions: 1. Select a State from the dropdown, 2.Select the day-length of interest on the top right side of the map. 3. Click on the county of interest for information on the maximum snowfall event on record for your selected time period. 4. A table below the map shows location (by county and station), date of event, and snowfall total details. Click the top of the right two columns to sort by date or value.
NCEI: Storm Events Database
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Temperature, Precipitaiton, Lightning, Winter, Air Quality, Tornado, Hurricane, Tropical Storm, Wind, Wildfire, Storm
  • About the tool: From NOAA Climate Program Office and National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center. NOAA Storm Data: The database currently contains data from January 1950 to May 2025, as entered by NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS). Due to changes in the data collection and processing procedures over time, there are unique periods of record available depending on the event type. NCEI has performed data reformatting and standardization of event types but has not changed any data values for locations, fatalities, injuries, damage, narratives and any other event specific information. Please refer to the Database Details page for more information.The Storm Events Database contains the records used to create the official NOAA Storm Data publication, documenting: a.The occurrence of storms and other significant weather phenomena having sufficient intensity to cause loss of life, injuries, significant property damage, and/or disruption to commerce; b. Rare, unusual, weather phenomena that generate media attention, such as snow flurries in South Florida or the San Diego coastal area; and c.Other significant meteorological events, such as record maximum or minimum temperatures or precipitation that occur in connection with another event.
  • Instructions: A. Select a state / area or enter term into Naritive Search Box. B.Hail example: (This interactive tool displays the historical record for individual severe hail reports by county. It can be used to determine hail events that have impacted your area or close to your area.) 1. On the bottom left, under Select State or Area, choose a state / area → then Search. 2. From top to bottom, select a specific Begin and End Date, as well as County of interest. 3. Under Event Type(s), select event type from list. 4. Expand Advanced Search and Filter Options → Hail Filter, select hail size of interest. 5. Press Search. Summary results are presented in a table. Note: This tool can be used to analyze a variety of additional hazards with various time periods, and hail data goes as far back as 1955. This database is likely incomplete and does not account for all hail events.
NCICS: Estimates of future values for intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves for heavy precipitation events for locations in the United States
Hazard Type/s: Precipitation
  • About the tool: These results are for research use only. This website is the end result of a research project, whose objective was the incorporation of future climate change into the precipitation frequency values typically used by engineers and infrastructure designers. This project deliverable was produced for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP/Department of Defense). Given its timeliness and importance, it is being released for use by the public.
  • Instructions: This website provides scientifically based estimates of future values for intensity–duration–frequency (IDF) curves for heavy precipitation events for locations in the United States. These future values incorporate changes due to potential global warming. Two greenhouse gas emissions scenarios are provided, RCP8.5 which is a high emissions scenario with large greenhouse gas increases through the 21st century and RCP4.5 which is a mid-range greenhouse gas emissions scenario where emissions increase to about 2050 then decline thereafter. These estimates were derived using NOAA Atlas 14 values as the basis and then making adjustments based on the scientific findings of this project. This website is the final deliverable for a research project funded by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP/Department of Defense). The project final report and relevant journal articles are accessible under Downloads.
NDMC: U.S. Drought Monitor Comprehensive Statisitcs
Hazard Type/s: Drought
  • About the tool: Download data for all U.S. Drought Monitor categories for each week of the selected time period and location. Data options are percent of area, total area, percent of population and total population. Spatial scale choices include national, state, county and urban areas, and many more. If you have further questions please e-mail Brian Fuchs
  • Instructions: enter selections into blnks provided / dropdown
NDMC: U.S. Drought Monitor Time Series
Hazard Type/s: Drought
  • About the tool: A.) The Drought Severity and Coverage Index provides pre-computed drought indices for more than 4,000 locations across the United States. Each station included provides a long, continuous record of weather data. Use the map viewer to find the station nearest you. B.) This interactive tool provides historical drought indices at a local level and can identify drought periods at different levels of severity, duration, and frequency.
  • Instructions: make selections, view or download (Area Type), (Area), and (Index); select drought category (D0 throught D4). For download options, click the 'Chart Export Options' box.
NDMC: U.S. Drought Risk Atlas
Hazard Type/s: Drought
  • About the tool: A.) The Drought Risk Atlas provides pre-computed drought indices for more than 4,000 locations across the United States. Each station included provides a long, continuous record of weather data. Use the map viewer to find the station nearest you. B.) This interactive tool provides historical drought indices at a local level and can identify drought periods at different levels of severity, duration, and frequency.
  • Instructions: 1. On the left side, select Arkansas to search by state or zoom in on the map, then search by location. 2. Scroll down to select a station from the Station List on the right or choose a station from the map. Then, click Update Selection. 3. Below, there are a variety of drought indicator tabs to explore. Choose which indicator you would like to view. 3a. The Precip & Temp tab provides weekly, monthly, or annual averages of total precipitation and minimum and maximum temperature, shown in graphs. Select a date range or select a decade or the period of record from the drop-down menu. Select weekly, monthly, or annual information from the Aggregate drop-down menu. 3b. The Drought Monitor tab shows values from the U.S. Drought Monitor, which began in 2000. Select a date range and a Boundary (state, county, etc.). There are three ways to view the information. Select Time Series to view a graph of U.S. Drought Monitor values over time, averaged over the boundary you selected, Table to view a table of weekly drought monitor values, or Heat Map to view weekly values by year (use the slider to scroll through the weeks). 3c. The Trends tab shows various trends in several drought indicators and how statistically significant those trends are. Under the Index drop-down menu, select precipitation or a drought indicator. For any indicator, select a Start Year and Significance level. Some indicators require you to also select a Season, and the Precipitation indicator requires a Precipitation Threshold in inches. After you make the selections, click Trends Chart on the right. A graph will display with the trend in the selected indicator over time. A blue dashed trendline represents an increasing trend in that indicator, a red dashed trendline represents a decreasing trend, and a black dashed trendline represents no trend. The trend value per decade is shown in text underneath the graph. Note: There are many other tabs with additional data and information. We only include a few prominent features here due to the complexity of other indices and length of instructions.
NEMAC: Climate Explorer – (Climate Maps, Climate Graphs, High Tide Flooding, Historical Weather, Historic Thresholds)
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Precipitaiton, Flood, Coastal
  • About the tool: The Climate Explorer is an interactive tool that allows you to view and compare the annual heating degree days and the average number of days per year with a maximum or minimum temperature below 32°F for the historical period and in the future under both higher and lower emissions scenarios.
  • Instructions: 1. Type in the city or parish you are interested in. 2. Click Climate Maps. 3. Using the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner, select the variable of interest (Days w/ max temp <32°F, Days w/ min temp <32°F, or Heating Degree Days). 4. Next to the drop-down menu, select Map. 5. Use the middle slider on the map to compare averages between the historical period (1961-1990) and future decades (2020s-2090s) under lower and higher emissions scenarios. (Use the bottom drop-down menus to choose variables and the slider on the bottom right to choose a decade to compare with.) On the map, zoom in to the parish level and click a parish to view the associated values. 6. To view this information over time (1950-2099) for a single location, click the Graph tab at the top of the map and type a location at the top.
NEMAC: Climate Explorer – Historical Thresholds Tool
Hazard Type/s: Extremes, Precipitation, Flood
  • About the tool: The Climate Explorer is an interactive tool that allows you to view the number of extreme rainfall events per year for a station’s period of record, among many other features.
  • Instructions: 1. Type in the city or county you are interested in. 2. Click Historical Thresholds. 3. From the top menu, select a Threshold in inches (e.g., 1 in). 4. Select a duration Window in days (e.g., 1 day). 5. Choose a station (red dot) on the map. 6. The resulting plot displays a bar chart with days per year (or multi-day duration you chose) with precipitation reaching your selected threshold. Hover your mouse over the bars to view yearly information.
NIFC: Open Data Site Federal interagency wildland fire maps and data for all
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: Search for data, applications or select a category below
  • Instructions: enter key word in search box or scroll
NOAA: Coastal Flooding Exposure Mapper
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This interactive mapping tool shows susceptible areas to high tide flooding, water depth from sea level rise, storm surge from different hurricane categories, and FEMA flood zones. Users can overlay societal, infrastructure, and ecosystem exposures.
  • Instructions: 1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom in to the area of interest. 3. Click the layers icon in the bottom-left corner to change the map. 4. To view areas susceptible to high tide flooding, click the High Tide Flooding option under Hazard Layers. 5. Click any of the exposure layers, such as Critical Facilities, to add additional information to the map.
NOAA: Historical Hurricane Tracks
Hazard Type/s: Tropical Storm, Coastal, Wind
  • About the tool: This interactive tool allows users to explore past hurricanes. It provides detailed information on nearly 200 storms for Texas alone. It allows users to view information on the category, pressure, wind speed, and track as well as a link to the official National Hurricane Center report on the tropical cyclone.
  • Instructions: 1. Type in location, year, or storm of interest (i.e., Texas) 2. A map will appear with the tropical storm tracks that match your search. 3. At the top left of the map, filter by category, sea level pressure, year, area, month, or ENSO cycle to narrow down storms. 4. Click on the storm track on the map or the event on the left menu to view detailed information on the event. 5. Click the PDF icon in the top right of the information box to view the official report on the storm (if available) or the “i” icon for more details.
NOAA: NOAA Atlas 14 Precipitation Frequency Data Server (PFDS)
Hazard Type/s: Precipitation
  • About the tool: Interactive tool shows rainfall frequency estimates for select durations (e.g., 3-, 12-, and 24-hours) and recurrence intervals (e.g., 100-, 500-, and 1000-years) with 90% confidence intervals. Probable maximum precipitation (PMP) values are not represented in this tool.
  • Instructions: 1. Click on state from the map. A new screen will open. 2. To select a location, either enter the desired location, station, or address manually OR double-click the interactive map. 3. Precipitation frequency estimates will be displayed in both table and graph forms below. 4. For additional help, select FAQ from the left-hand menu, then refer to the Section 5 link under section 1.1.
NWS: Flood Impacts by River Crest Height
Hazard Type/s: Flood
  • About the tool: This interactive tool shows a summary of flood impacts and historical gauge information for locations of interest. It can be used to identify historic and recent river crest heights, flood impacts by crest height and location, and hydrographs.
  • Instructions: 1. On the map, pan and zoom to the area of interest. Click on the stream gauge of interest on the map. 2. A new side window will pop up with the selected gauge’s information. Click Full Information at the top. 3. A hydrograph with recent and forecasted values is shown at the top. Below this is a table with flood stages and associated crest heights. To view Flood Impacts for a range of crest heights, scroll down the page. Click Show More Flood Impacts to expand this list. 4. Recent Crests and Historic Crests are listed below and to the right. These lists show the crest height and date of the observation. 5. Below this is the Vertical Datum Table with associated flood stages.
NWS SPC: Hail Climatology
Hazard Type/s: Precipitation
  • About the tool: This site has charts of the latest preliminary severe storm reports, annual summaries, and links to comma-separated-value (csv) data files from the SPC severe weather database back to 1950. Ex. Maps that shows the average number of days per timeframe in which severe weather reports occurred in the specified area during the period noted. The map provides a sense of the approximate number of days each year that you can expect to see severe (0.75- and 1-inch) or significant (greater than 2-inch) hail in your area. Note: Severe hail size changed from 0.75” to 1” in 2009, so both sizes are included on the webpage.
  • Instructions: Example: 1. Scroll down and click on Hail Climatology – New Severe Hail (Greater Than 1.00” or Greater Than 2.00”) to view the full-size image. CSV downloads can be found by scrolling halfward down the webpage.
NWS SPC: Lightning Climatology Tool
Hazard Type/s: Lightning
  • About the tool: This tool provides a daily and hourly lightning climatology, showing the probability of at least one cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning strike occurring each day of the year or each 1-hour or 4-hour period throughout the day. It can be used to assess the time of day and time of year with the highest probability of CG lightning.
  • Instructions: 1. Zoom in to your area of interest on the map. 2. The default map shows the daily (24-Hour) lightning probability on January 1, as indicated in the map title. To select a 1-Hour or 4-Hour climatology, hover your mouse over the Lightning tab at the top of the page and select 1-Hour or 4-Hour. To view other days or hours, move the horizontal scroll bar under the map. Note: the map title and scroll bar show hours in UTC format. 3. Click your area of interest on the map to view the probability of CG lightning occurring on that day or hour for that area. 4. Click the Time Series button within the pop-up box to view a graph of average CG lightning probability for your selected daily/hourly option. You can use this graph for a quick assessment of the time of year/day that location experiences the most CG lightning. Hover your mouse over the graph for details. Note for hourly options: the box shows local time, unlike the map title. The 4-hour graph will show the probability of at least one CG lightning strike occurring within a 4-hour window (e.g., the value for 12pm will show the probability of lightning occurring between 8am-12pm). 5. If you selected the 1-hour or 4-hour option, click the Heat Map button within the pop-up box to view a graph of 1-hour or 4-hour lightning climatology by both day of year (horizontal axis) and time of day (vertical axis). Darker colors represent a higher probability. Hover your mouse over the graph to assess what time of year and day that lightning is more likely to occur in your area.
NWS SPC: Severe Weather Maps, Climatologies, Graphics, and Data Page
Hazard Type/s: Precipitation, Tornado, Wind, Tropical Storm, Winter, Severe Thunderstorm
  • About the tool: This site has charts of the latest preliminary severe storm reports, annual summaries, and links to comma-separated-value (csv) data files from the SPC severe weather database back to 1950. Ex. Maps that shows the average number of days per timeframe in which severe weather reports occurred in the specified area during the period noted. The map provides a sense of the approximate number of days each year that you can expect to see severe (0.75- and 1-inch) or significant (greater than 2-inch) hail in your area. Note: Severe hail size changed from 0.75” to 1” in 2009, so both sizes are included on the webpage.
  • Instructions: Example: 1. Scroll down and click on Hail Climatology – New Severe Hail (Greater Than 1.00” or Greater Than 2.00”) to view the full-size image. CSV downloads can be found by scrolling halfward down the webpage.
NWS SPC: Storm Prediction Center Page- SVRGIS
Hazard Type/s: Tornado, Wind, Precipitation
  • About the tool: SPC GIS page with United States severe report database (tornadoes 1950-2024, hail/wind 1955-2024), converted into shapefile (.shp) file format. The data can be viewed in graphical, tabular, and statistical formats depending on end-user programs.
  • Instructions: 1. Scroll to item of intrest. 2. Data are converted into shapefile (.shp) file format. The data can be viewed in graphical, tabular, and statistical formats depending on end-user programs.statistical formats depending on end-user programs.
NWS SPC: Tornado Climatology
Hazard Type/s: Tornado
  • About the tool: These static maps show the average number of tornado days per year for all magnitudes (separate maps show EF1+, EF2+ and EF4+ days) within 25 miles of any point from 1986-2015. Tornado frequencies at a given location can be compared to nearby and regional locations.
  • Instructions: 1. Click on any of the four Tornado Climatology maps to view a larger image: All Tornado Days, EF1+, EF2+, or EF4+ Tornado Days.
NWS SPC: Tornado Risk Assessment
Hazard Type/s: Tornado
  • About the tool: This site displays a series of graphs that shows tornado occurrences and statistics based on a given point. Statistics include F/EF scale frequency and probabilities of strikes occurring by month and time of day.
  • Instructions: 1. Click on the black bar at the top of the page (bar includes location, radius, and time period information) and provide the zip code of interest. A suggested radius input is 40 km (~25 mi). 2. Click Run. 3. Details about tornadoes that have occurred within the selected area are displayed on the page
NWS SPC: Tornado Watch Climatology
Hazard Type/s: Tornado
  • About the tool: This map shows you a 20-year climatology of tornado watches. From this map you can get a sense of the approximate number of days each year you can expect to have a tornado watch issued for your county(ies).
  • Instructions: 1. Under the Storm Prediction Center WCM Page banner near the top of the page, click on the Watch Frequency Maps link. 2. Scroll down a bit until you see 20y SPC Watch Climatology. 3. Click on Average number of tornado watches per year image to view it in larger form. 4. Note: This WCM page contains a lot of other statistics about the hail, severe thunderstorm and tornado products that come out of the NWS Storm Prediction Center if you are interested in digging deeper into data.
SCCASC: Climate Projections
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Precipitaiton
  • About the tool: This webpage includes several precipitation projections, including the projected average annual number of days with rain and longest dry spell length, for the south-central U.S. during the mid-century (2036-2065) and end-of-century (2070-2099) time frames under low and high emissions scenarios.
  • Instructions: 1. The projections are grouped by mid-century and end-of-century. Scroll down to Projected Change in the Average Annual Number of Days with Rain or Projected Change in the Average Annual Longest Dry Spell Length for the time frame you’re interested in. These two variables relate to drought from a precipitation perspective. 2. The maps in the middle of the page show the projections under a low emissions scenario on the left and high emissions scenario on the right. The average value in the top right of each map represents the average for the entire region, so use the legend below the map to estimate the value for your area. Note: Click the map to view a larger version. 3. On either side of the page is a text summary of the projections for both emissions scenarios. Note: You can use these maps to view the range of projected values, as the future value will likely fall somewhere in between the low and high emissions scenarios.
SCIPP: Climate Trends
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Precipitaiton
  • About the tool: An interactive graphing tool shows precipitation and temp trends
  • Instructions: 1. In the left column, moving from top to bottom, select  State of Intrest→ Climate Division of Interest → Season of Interest → Variable of intrest. 2. Hovering the curser over a point will display the year and value for the selected season. 3. For more information on how to interpret the chart, click on Chart Info.
SCIPP: Historical Climate Trends Tool-Drought
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Precipitaiton
  • About the tool: A. This interactive graphing tool shows annual, seasonal, and monthly temperature trends by state and climate division. It can be used to gain a general understanding of temperature trends and show previous periods of higher temperatures, as well as years of extreme temperature. B. This interactive graphing tool shows temp and precipitation trends, of which very dry periods are a drought indicator.
  • Instructions: A1. In the left column, moving from top to bottom, select 'State' → Climate Division of Interest → Season of Interest → Precipitation or Temperature. 2. Hovering the curser over a point will display the year and value for the selected season. 3. For more information on how to interpret the chart, click on Chart Info. B1. On the left side of the screen (from top to bottom) select Texas → Climate Division of Interest → Season of Interest → Temperature. 2. For more information on how to interpret the chart, click on Chart Info. C1. At the top of the tool, click the Extreme Heat, Warm Nights, Heating and Cooling Degree Days, Seasonal Averages, or Seasonal Extremes tab. 2. The default station is in Abilene, TX. To choose a station nearest to you, use the map on the right. Zoom in and click any of the blue dots to change stations. You can also select a station under the Station drop-down menu on the left of the page. 3. Use the graph to determine the trend (if any) for your selection. Solid lines represent significant trends. 4. Mouse over individual data points to view more information. 5. For seasonal selections, make sure you select a season in the Season drop-down menu on the left of the screen.
SCIPP: Prescribed Fire Climatology Document - Changing Fire Regimes and Managemnt Stratigies
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: This document includes a series of static graphics and tables within a scientific report. It can be used to identify the best months to conduct prescribed burns as a wildfire management strategy. Coupled with tools such as TxWRAP, one can target locations and timing for safe burning along the wildland-urban interface. The report describes the average, minimum, and maximum number of days with a consecutive 4-hour period suitable for prescribed fire as a management tool to reduce vegetation fuel load and improve vegetation health.
  • Instructions: downloadable
SGSF: Southern Group of State Foresters Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: The Southern Risk Assessment Portal is a free, easy-to-use website with information, data and resources to help homeowners and communities understand, identify and reduce their wildfire risk.
  • Instructions: Scroll down the page to select desired tool or scroll further down to search resources by state (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Lousiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, US Virgin , Virgina)
SRCC: Extremes Tool
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Precipitaiton
  • About the tool: The SRCC’s Climate Extremes Tool displays the extremes recorded at individual stations.
  • Instructions: 1. Under Product, select range (moth, all-Time Records, ...) 2. Under Variable, select variable (ex.Low Min Temperature). 3. Click Submit. 4. Records are displayed on the map (pan, zoom-in or -out if needed). Mouse over station to determine its period of record and day on which the record occurred.
SRCC: Storm Reports wMap
Hazard Type/s: Drought, Wildfire, Precipitation, Tropical Storm, Coastal, Winter, Wind, Tornado, Severe Thunderstorm, Flooding
  • About the tool: This interactive tool displays the historical record for individual severe weather reports in your area. It can be used to determine weather events that have impacted your area.
  • Instructions: 1. On the left side of the screen, click on Search within Radius. 2. Choose the diameter of the area of which you want to investigate (25 or 50 miles). 3. Under Filter by Storm Types make your selection. 4. Pan, zoom, and then click on the map area of interest. 5. Reports are displayed on the map and in two tables below the map. Map: Mouse over individual storm reports for details. Tables: There are two tables, Recent Storm Data and Historical Storm Data. Click on a column header to sort by column of interest. For example, to view the dates in which the largest hail occurred, click on the Scale column headers to sort by the largest hail values.
TexNet: TexNet Earthquake Catalogue
Hazard Type/s: Earthquake
  • About the tool: TexNet Earthquake Catalog, an interactive webpage that provides information on the locations of monitoring stations and recorded earthquakes across the state. The map includes data recorded since January 1st, 2017, when data collection began. By keeping Texan citizens informed about earthquake activity, the catalog helps reduce the impact of future earthquakes through improved awareness and preparedness. This catalog includes an interactive map and tables that show various earthquake datasets for Texas.
  • Instructions: 1. Using the date range selectors on the left toolbar or the timeline at the bottom of the page, select the range of interest, then select the magnitude range. The legend of earthquake magnitude and station type is on the left. 2. Use the map to pan and zoom to the area of interest. 3. Click Show Table on the top of the page to view more details.
UCS-USA: Killer Heat Tool
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Extremes
  • About the tool: This interactive mapping tool shows the number of days with maximum heat index above 90°F, 100°F, 105°F, and ‘off the charts’ (exceeding the upper limits of the NWS heat index scale) for each U.S. county over the historical baseline (1971-2000), mid-century (2036-2065), and late century (2070-2099). Future projections include scenarios for no action, slow action, and rapid action on climate change
  • Instructions: 1. At the top of the tool, click the Above 90, Above 100, Above 105, or Off the Charts tab. 2. Zoom in to the desired area on the map. The default map displays historical number of days above the threshold. 3. Click the county of interest to view the historical number of days per year above the selected heat index threshold. 4. On the left panel, scroll through the text and select a future scenario with no action on climate change, with slow action on climate change, or with rapid action on climate change for the Midcentury or Late Century time frame. 5. Click the county of interest to view the number of days per year above the selected heat index threshold for the scenario and time frame selected. 6. This information is also available for military bases in the U.S., accessible through the Military Bases at Risk tab at the top of the page.
US: The 5th National Climate Assessment
Hazard Type/s: All
  • About the tool: National Climate Assessments synthesize scientific information and evaluate the state of the science on climate change to inform a broad audience of decision-makers across the country. The NCA is mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990 and is produced approximately every years. The 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5) was released in November 2023 and builds upon the work of the four previous assessments. This report was produced by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, which comprises 14 Federal member agencies. NCA5 was written by a diverse team of more than 500 authors and went through multiple rounds of extensive agency review, public comment, and an external peer review conducted by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
  • Instructions: NCA5 is a technical scientific assessment of climate change-related risks, impacts, and responses in the United States. The assessment includes 32 chapters on physical science, national-level sectors (e.g., water, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, etc.), regional impacts, and responses (mitigation and adaptation). The regional chapter for states (ex.Texas is Chapter 26: Southern Great Plains ), but you can find relevant information throughout the report. Can be downloaded by chapter, as slides, PDF-English, PDF-Spanish
US-GCRP: NCA4 Volume I: Climate Science Special Report
Hazard Type/s: All
  • About the tool: This stand-alone report is an authoritative assessment of the science relating to climate change and its physical impacts, with a focus on the U.S. Released in November 2017, it was led by NOAA, represents the first of two volumes of the NCA4, and is mandated by the Global Change Research Act of 1990. The CSSR is designed to serve as the foundation for efforts to assess climate-related risks and inform decision-making about responses. The report provides 1) an updated detailed analysis of the findings of how climate change is affecting weather and climate across the United States; 2) an executive summary and other materials that provides the basis for the discussion of climate science found in the second volume of the NCA4; and 3) foundational information and projections for climate change, including extremes, to improve “end-to- end” consistency in sectoral, regional, and resilience analyses.
  • Instructions: view or download
USACE: National Inventory of Dams by State
Hazard Type/s: Dam or Levee Failure, Flood
  • About the tool: This tool provides you with an overview of the dams in the nation, including the number by hazard potential, height, owner type, primary type, primary purpose, and completion date.
  • Instructions: A.) 1. Scroll down until you see a map. On the drop-down menu to the left of the map, (for example) select Texas. For specific counties, you can then select a county within selection from the same menu or click on the map after Texas is selected. 2. The map then zooms in to Texas and shows all dam locations. A summary of dams in the state is visible above the map. 3. To view dams by hazard potential, click the Layer Controls button on the top left of the map, then click Categorize by and choose Dams by Hazard Potential. The number of dams in each category are shown under the map. Other categories can be mapped as well. 4. Click Browse These Dams above the map to access a list of dams with more information. Advanced Search B.) 1. At the top of the page, click on the Advanced Search tab. 2. On the top left of the page in the Location box, select State for the Geography Type, then type Texas in the space below. Click UPDATE RESULTS above this area. 3. Click the DAM DETAILS tab near the top of the page to access a chart of all Texas dams and associated information. 4. Choose which columns to display by clicking Columns, then select/de-select the columns as needed. 5. To sort by column, click the arrow to the right of the column header. Note: You can narrow results by selecting additional options on the left of the page (such as Hazard Potential Classification to view high hazard dams). Click UPDATE RESULTS for any changes made to update the list.
USACE: National Levee Database
Hazard Type/s: Dam or Levee Failure, Flood
  • About the tool: This tool allows you to to explore levees in your area, including location, year constructed, length, number of people and structures at risk should failure occur, property values in the risk area, and more.
  • Instructions: 1. In the search bar, type a state or a city, county, address, or levee name. After you type the location or levee name, click the selection from the dropdown menu. 2. The next page shows a map of levees in your selected area and a list of levees on the lefthand side. Click the levee from the list or on the map. If you select the levee from the map, then click it again in the Select a Levee System popup box when it appears. 3. The results page includes information about the levee, including a summary, performance and condition, a map, and the flooding hazard. The Behind the Levee section on the right includes consequence information (e.g., infrastructure, population, property values). Mouse over the squares to see more information.
USDA: Wildfire Risk to Communities
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: This tool provides information and resources for communities to understand, explore, and reduce wildfire risk. Mitigation resources and programs for action are provided in the Incentive and Action Programs for Hazard Risk Reduction menu item, but this part of the tool allows users to explore risk for a community, tribal area, county, or state. This tool provides the risk to homes, wildfire likelihood, risk reduction zones, and vulnerable populations in the selected area, which are also compared to the rest of the state, county, or nation.
  • Instructions: 1. In the search bar, enter your desired community, tribal area, county, or state. 2. On the results page, you’ll see a summary statement comparing the selected area’s wildfire risk to the rest of the nation. Below this is a summary of the risk to homes, wildfire likelihood, risk reduction zone, and vulnerable populations, with a risk of low to high. 3. Select one of these risk tiles to view more information and access an interactive map. 4. The resulting page includes a summary statement, interactive map, descriptive information about that risk, and action information. 5. The Risk to Homes and Wildfire Likelihood options include an interactive graph of percentiles that compares your selected area to others. The default geographic comparison is Nation but you can select a different option (e.g., county or state) from the Compare to drop-down menu at the top of the page. Hover over the points on the graph to explore the information (red points represent higher risk or likelihood). Switch to other risk pages by using the tabs on the top of the page.
USGS: Earthquake Catalog
Hazard Type/s: Earthquake
  • About the tool: This tool shows past earthquakes on a zoomable map and can be used to show previous occurrences.
  • Instructions: 1. Under Basic Options, select the Magnitude, Date and Time, and Geographic Region to plot. Choose a Custom date and time with a start date such as “1970-01-01 00:00:00” to view long-term trends. Select a Custom Geographic Region for Texas by clicking Custom, then zooming into the pop-up map and drawing a rectangle around Texas. 2. Click Search. 3. A map with all earthquakes meeting your chosen criteria are shown and a list of earthquakes are on the left of the page. 4. View the map legend by clicking the key icon on the top right of the map area. To learn more about specific events, click any point on the map or select an event from the list. You can also sort by date or magnitude.
USGS: Earthquake Hazards Program
Hazard Type/s: Earthquake
  • About the tool: The USGS monitors and reports on earthquakes, assesses earthquake impacts and hazards, and conducts targeted research on the causes and effects of earthquakes. We undertake these activities as part of the larger National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP), a four-agency partnership established by Congress
  • Instructions: Multiple tools are available from this web portal. Scroll the page and select area of interest.
UW-M: Wildland - Urban Interface
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire, Coastal
  • About the tool: This interactive tool shows WUI (Wildland-Urban Interface) changes between 1990, 2000, and 2010 for locations of interest. It shows the effects of housing growth on the environment and which areas may need more local land management related to WUI issues.
  • Instructions: 1. Zoom in to the desired location on the map. 2. On the left side of the screen, select year, base map, and layer opacity of interest. Note: Texas-specific data and map files (down to the county level) are available by scrolling down the page.
Vaisala: Vaisala Annual Lightning Report and Global Lightning Density Map
Hazard Type/s: Lightning
  • About the tool: This Annual Lightning Report page provides annual reports since 2017 that contain maps of average cloud-to-ground flash density and total lightning density for the previous 5-10 years in the U.S. The reports also offer high-resolution local- and county-level maps and information. Other features of this site appear to be pay services and include are an archive of past annual reports, supplemental statistics, and a global lightning density map with county-level data. This map shows the average number of lightning events per km2 per year for every country and ocean in the world using data from 2016 to 2024. You can also view the data by state or province when you zoom in.
  • Instructions: 1. Pan and hover over an area to see its lightning density. Zoom in to see data by state or province, and by county in the United States. Expand the legend to switch map layers, change colors, or hide values. Choose between the 3D globe view or a 2D projection by selecting the appropriate icon.

Arkansas

FEMA: FEMA's Estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Flood
  • About the tool: This tool shows Base Level Engineering datasets, models, maps, and reports that allow users to visualize and download flood risk data for their community and give property owners site-specific flood risk information. This helps them understand the possible risk to their homes and businesses and make informed decisions to reduce damage from future floods.
  • Instructions: 1. In the Select an Area of Interest drop-down menu, select FEMA Region 6. 2. On the next screen, select What’s My Flood Risk? to view a local report with estimated base flood elevation (BFE). 3. A panel of two maps is on the next page: 1% (100-year) and 0.2% (500-year) flood extent on the left and flood depth (1%) on the right. To quickly produce a BFE report, follow the options on the left menu under the Report tab to either enter a location of interest, click a location on the map, or use your current location. Note: A report will only generate when BFE data are available at that location. To view where data are available, zoom in on the map and click a property that is in the 1% flood extent area (purple color on the left map; click Legend next to the Report button on the top left to view the legend). If BLE data are unavailable, a pop-up box will notify you when you click a location. If the property is in a study zone (gray area), the tool will direct you to another tool and will not produce a report. 4. After selecting a location, click View Report. A new page shows the 2-page report with estimated flood extent, flood depth, and base flood elevation. The second page includes more information about using the data and taking action. 5. To explore the map, go back to the BFE Viewer tab on your web browser. Click the Legend tab at the top left of the page. 6. On each map, click Map Layers to choose other data to explore. In the Base Level Engineering drop-down menu, you can select other flood extents or depths, as well as other information. You can view only one map at a time by clicking 1 Map View on the top right of the screen.
NWS: Frost and Freeze Arkansas
Hazard Type/s: Temperature, Winter
  • About the tool: This static map shows the average date of the first freeze (Fall) across Arkansas. A link to a map of the average date of the last freeze (Spring) is located below the map. The maps can be used to understand the times of the year in which you might experience temperatures below freezing for your area. Use the dropdown menu below to find first (Fall) and last (Spring) frost and freeze dates for a location near you
  • Instructions: 1. Scroll to middle of page to view the maps. 2. Click on map of interest from the following: First Freeze (Fall) or Last Freeze (Spring). 3. You can also obtain frost and freeze information for individual stations by scrolling down the page a bit and clicking on the drop-down menu, then Get Info!
SCIPP: SCIPP Temperature Trends Dashboard
Hazard Type/s: Temperature
  • About the tool: This tool shows temperature trends at individual stations across Arkansas, including trends in extremely cold nights, seasonal extreme and average high/low temperatures, and heating degree days, since 1970.
  • Instructions: 1. At the top of the tool, click the Extreme Cold, Heating and Cooling Degree Days, Seasonal Averages, or Seasonal Extremes tab. 2. The default station is in Abilene, TX. To choose a station nearest to you, use the map on the right. Zoom in and click any of the blue dots to change stations. You can also select a station under the Station dropdown menu on the left of the page 3. Use the graph to determine the trend (if any) for your selection. Solid lines represent significant trends. 4. Mouse over individual data points to view more information. 5. For seasonal selections, make sure Winter is selected in the Season drop-down menu on the left of the screen.
SCIPP: Simple Planning Tool
Hazard Type/s: Various, All
  • About the tool: This tool is a compilation of relatively easy-to-use online interactive tools, maps, and graphs to assist planners and emergency managers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas who are assessing their long-term climate risks, both historically and in the future. It is primarily designed for decision-makers who serve small- to medium-sized communities, but may also be of interest to those who serve larger areas. This tool was developed with input from local and state emergency managers and planners. While it may not answer every question one has about hazard climatologies and future trends, it aims to cut through the internet clutter and point to relatively simple data tools that can be used during planning processes and in plans.
  • Instructions: Select State of intrest: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Louisiana

CERA: Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood, Preciptation, Tropical Storm
  • About the tool: In a landfalling tropical cyclone, the wind pushes huge amounts of water onto shore. This storm surge often poses the greatest danger to human life since the rise of water can be as rapid as several feet in just a few minutes. Hurricane forecasts typically focus on a storm’s track and maximum wind speeds. That’s why we use ADCIRC, a computer model with a 25 year track record of success, to calculate the storm surge corresponding to the latest official hurricane forecast track. We have also developed a software package (ADCIRC Surge Guidance System – ASGS) that we use on high performance computers to recalculate and update these ADCIRC projections every time a new forecast advisory is issued. And finally, we show the storm surge maps on an interactive web mapper (Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment – CERA) to help our users understand the potential impacts and timing of storm surge. This provides more information to decision makers and first responders to support their due diligence efforts to achieve better outcomes.
  • Instructions: This tool allows users to view current, recent, and storm-specific water heights above Mean Sea Level and wind speed. For specific storms, you can also view the storm track and inundation depth above ground. Note: to access all features, you may need to sign up and request a free account. 1. Select a day or storm of interest at the top left. 2. Zoom into the area of interest to view sea level anomalies. 3. Use the options on the right of the screen to choose other variables to view.
FEMA: FEMA's Estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Flood
  • About the tool: This tool shows Base Level Engineering datasets, models, maps, and reports that allow users to visualize and download flood risk data for their community and give property owners site-specific flood risk information. This helps them understand the possible risk to their homes and businesses and make informed decisions to reduce damage from future floods.
  • Instructions: 1. In the Select an Area of Interest drop-down menu, select FEMA Region 6. 2. On the next screen, select What’s My Flood Risk? to view a local report with estimated base flood elevation (BFE). 3. A panel of two maps is on the next page: 1% (100-year) and 0.2% (500-year) flood extent on the left and flood depth (1%) on the right. To quickly produce a BFE report, follow the options on the left menu under the Report tab to either enter a location of interest, click a location on the map, or use your current location. Note: A report will only generate when BFE data are available at that location. To view where data are available, zoom in on the map and click a property that is in the 1% flood extent area (purple color on the left map; click Legend next to the Report button on the top left to view the legend). If BLE data are unavailable, a pop-up box will notify you when you click a location. If the property is in a study zone (gray area), the tool will direct you to another tool and will not produce a report. 4. After selecting a location, click View Report. A new page shows the 2-page report with estimated flood extent, flood depth, and base flood elevation. The second page includes more information about using the data and taking action. 5. To explore the map, go back to the BFE Viewer tab on your web browser. Click the Legend tab at the top left of the page. 6. On each map, click Map Layers to choose other data to explore. In the Base Level Engineering drop-down menu, you can select other flood extents or depths, as well as other information. You can view only one map at a time by clicking 1 Map View on the top right of the screen.
GulfTree: Gulf Tree
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This decision support site guides users to the high tide/nuisance flooding , coastal erosion tools and resources they need along the Gulf Coast through several filters of information, including how much time and effort they’re willing to spend on the tool.
  • Instructions: 1. Choose a Filtered Search to look through all filter categories on one page or choose Guide My Search to walk through questions step by step to achieve what you’re looking for. 2a. If you chose the Filtered Search, first navigate to Geographic Scope. Click the Texas drop-down menu and choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). 2b. Under Tool Function, select what you’d like to use coastal erosion information for. 2c. Under Cost, choose Free. 2d. Under Level of Effort, choose from low, moderate, or high (will determine how advanced the tool is). 2e. Under Climate Change Themes, check the box for Sea Level Rise. 2f. Under Climate Change Topics, select the drop-down for Coastal Processes, then check the box for Erosion. 2g. Click View Tool Matches on the top right to go to the results page. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 3a. If you chose Guide My Search, Gulf Tree will walk you through the same filters by asking 6 questions. For step 1 (Tool Function), check the box for why you need a coastal erosion tool, then click Submit. If you’re not sure which option to use, you can Skip this step. 3b. Step 2 (Topic Area) includes a filter for what aspect of the topic you’re interested in. Click the drop-down menu for Coastal Processes and check the box for Erosion, then click Submit. 3c. On Step 3 (Location), click the Texas drop-down menu, then choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). Then, click Submit. 3d. For Step 4 (Level of Effort), choose how much effort you’d like to put into the tool, which will determine how advanced the tool is. Then, click Submit. 3e. For Step 5 (Tool Cost), choose Free, then click Submit. 3f. Click Leave Guided Search and View Matches to go to the results page or go back to a previous page on the left menu to change your selected options. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 4. To create a new search, click Reset All Filters at the top right of the results page. 1. Choose a Filtered Search to look through all filter categories on one page or choose Guide My Search to walk through questions step by step to achieve what you’re looking for. 2a. If you chose the Filtered Search, first navigate to Geographic Scope. Click the Texas drop-down menu and choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). 2b. Under Tool Function, select what you’d like to use high tide flooding information for. 2c. Under Cost, choose Free. 2d. Under Level of Effort, choose from low, moderate, or high (will determine how advanced the tool is). 2e. Under Climate Change Topics, select the drop-down for Flooding, then check the box for Nuisance Flooding. Explore other drop-down menus in this section to add more filters for additional topics. 2f. Click View Tool Matches on the top right to go to the results page. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 3a. If you chose Guide My Search, Gulf Tree will walk you through the same filters by asking 6 questions. For step 1 (Tool Function), check the box for why you need a high tide flooding tool, then click Submit. If you’re not sure which option to use, you can Skip this step. 3b. Step 2 (Topic Area) includes a filter for what aspect of the topic you’re interested in. Click the drop-down menu for Flooding and check the box for Nuisance Flooding, then click Submit. 3c. On Step 3 (Location), click the Texas drop-down menu, then choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). Then, click Submit. 3d. For Step 4 (Level of Effort), choose how much effort you’d like to put into the tool, which will determine how advanced the tool is. Then, click Submit. 3e. For Step 5 (Tool Cost), choose Free, then click Submit. 3f. Click Leave Guided Search and View Matches to go to the results page or go back to a previous page on the left menu to change your selected options. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 4. To create a new search, click Reset All Filters at the top right of the results page. View the tool
NAS: Climate of the Gulf Coast States: An Examination of Climate Change’s Effects Across the Region
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This four-chapter report is a product of FloodWise Communities, a National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program project led by the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP), the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), and the University of Oklahoma. The document includes an in-depth examination of the climate in TX, LA, AL, MS, GA, and FL. The chapters include: Geography and Average Climatology, Observed Changes in the Climate, Climate Modeling and Future Climate Change, and Climate Hazards.
  • Instructions: view or download
NHC: Storm Surge Risk Maps - National Hurricane Center
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Tropical Storm, Flood
  • About the tool: This mapper allows users to assess their storm surge risk at various hurricane intensities by displaying the maximum possible storm surge for each storm category. This tool can be used to assist in forming evacuation plans for both individuals and decisions makers.
  • Instructions: 1. Zoom to the area of interest. 2. Click through the different categories to view storm surge levels for that area at different hurricane strengths.
NOAA: Relative Sea Level Trends
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This tool uses historical tide gauge data to provide local relative sea level (RSL) trends, which takes into account sea level rise and local vertical land motion. It also provides a time lapse of satellite imagery via Google Earth to visualize the changing coast over time.
  • Instructions: 1. Click Gulf Coast above the map or pan and zoom to the Texas coast on the map. 2. Click a gauge location on the map, represented by an arrow. Note: use the legend under the map for a quick look at the trend for this location. Warmer colors and arrows pointing up represent an increasing trend. 3. A summary of the RSL trend is shown in the pop-up box. 4. Click Linear Trend in the box to view a graph of the RSL trend over time at this location. The summary of the trend information is included below the graph. You can export the data or save the image using the buttons under the graph. 5. To view a time lapse of satellite imagery via Google Maps, click Landsat Imagery from the pop-up box in Step 3. 6. This default image is zoomed into the selected gauge location. You can zoom in and out by using the +/- buttons on the top right of the page. You can also pause the time lapse and view individual years on the bottom of the page.
NOAA: Sea Level Rise Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This interactive mapping tool visualizes impacts from sea level rise and allows users to choose different water levels to view sea level rise projections, overlay community vulnerability, and view high tide flooding frequency. Includes local photo simulations fo what rise will look like at selected location at various levels.
  • Instructions: (A) 1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom into the area of interest. The default map is current water level where darker blues are greater water depths. 3. Click High Tide Flooding on the lefthand menu. Red areas represent shallow coastal flooding areas and tide gauges are shown at select locations (may have to zoom in to view these). 4. Click a tide gauge icon on the map to view a graph of yearly high tide flooding events per year at that location. Note: access the legend by clicking the middle icon on the top right of the screen. (B)1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom into the area of interest. The default map is the current water level, where darker blues are greater water depths. 3. Adjust the vertical slider on the left to project different water levels. 4. To view a photo with simulated water levels, click an icon on the map (may need to zoom in). 5. Click Local Scenarios on the lefthand menu to view relative sea level rise by year and for different scenarios. Click any scenario icon on the map to change locations. 6. View by Scenario tab: Select a local scenario by sliding the scenario marker on the right to view the amount of relative sea level rise associated with that scenario in 20-year increments displayed on the left. View by Year tab: Select a year by sliding the year marker on the right to view the amount of relative sea level rise associated with that year for each of the local sea level rise scenarios on the left. 6. Click Vulnerability on the lefthand menu to overlay social and economic data to see the potential impact to sea level rise. Note: Access the legend by clicking the middle icon on the top right of the screen.
SCIPP: https://surge.climate.lsu.edu/
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood, Tropical Storm
  • About the tool: SURGEDAT is an extensive storm surge database for the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. This site provides access to data and several storm surge tools.This page allows the user to choose a tropical storm/hurricane of interest and view the associated storm surge levels, sea level pressure, and wind speed and direction.
  • Instructions: 1. Select the current storm or click the archive link and select a past storm of interest. 2. A new page will open with a graph of storm surge levels at different station locations over the duration of the event and a map of the storm path and gauge locations. 3. Hover over the storm path on the map to view the wind speed and direction, moving speed, and pressure for points along the path of the storm.
SCIPP: SCIPP Temperature Trends Dashboard
Hazard Type/s: Temperature
  • About the tool: This tool shows temperature trends at individual stations across Arkansas, including trends in extremely cold nights, seasonal extreme and average high/low temperatures, and heating degree days, since 1970.
  • Instructions: 1. At the top of the tool, click the Extreme Cold, Heating and Cooling Degree Days, Seasonal Averages, or Seasonal Extremes tab. 2. The default station is in Abilene, TX. To choose a station nearest to you, use the map on the right. Zoom in and click any of the blue dots to change stations. You can also select a station under the Station dropdown menu on the left of the page 3. Use the graph to determine the trend (if any) for your selection. Solid lines represent significant trends. 4. Mouse over individual data points to view more information. 5. For seasonal selections, make sure Winter is selected in the Season drop-down menu on the left of the screen.
SCIPP: Simple Planning Tool
Hazard Type/s: Various, All
  • About the tool: This tool is a compilation of relatively easy-to-use online interactive tools, maps, and graphs to assist planners and emergency managers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas who are assessing their long-term climate risks, both historically and in the future. It is primarily designed for decision-makers who serve small- to medium-sized communities, but may also be of interest to those who serve larger areas. This tool was developed with input from local and state emergency managers and planners. While it may not answer every question one has about hazard climatologies and future trends, it aims to cut through the internet clutter and point to relatively simple data tools that can be used during planning processes and in plans.
  • Instructions: Select State of intrest: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
USGS: Coastal Change Hazards Portal
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: A.) Access this tool to view historical shorelines and short- and long-term shoreline change rates due to hurricanes, coastal erosion, and sea level rise. B.) Access this tool to view the Coastal Vulnerability Index and forecasted shoreline changes from sea level rise. (view historical shorelines and short- and long-term shoreline change rates due to hurricanes, coastal erosion, and sea level rise)
  • Instructions: 1A. To view coastal erosion changes, zoom into the area of interest 2. Select Shoreline Change from the righthand menu. 3. Choose to view long-term or short-term shoreline change rates or historical shoreline positions. 4. Click Gulf of Mexico shorelines, then choose Texas. The map will show your selection along the coast coast. 1B. To view projections of vulnerability to sea level rise, zoom in to the area of interest 2. Select Sea-Level Rise from the righthand menu. 3. Select Coastal Vulnerability Index then the option for the Gulf of Mexico to view an area’s vulnerability to sea level rise. Or select Shoreline Change Forecasts → Probabilities of Shoreline Change for Contiguous U.S. then select one of the retreat/advance options (e.g., Probability of high shoreline retreat) to view the probability of future shoreline change over the next 50-100 years. Click the colored line on the map or refer to the legend to determine the risk value or long-term change at that location.

Mississippi

CERA: Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood, Preciptation, Tropical Storm
  • About the tool: In a landfalling tropical cyclone, the wind pushes huge amounts of water onto shore. This storm surge often poses the greatest danger to human life since the rise of water can be as rapid as several feet in just a few minutes. Hurricane forecasts typically focus on a storm’s track and maximum wind speeds. That’s why we use ADCIRC, a computer model with a 25 year track record of success, to calculate the storm surge corresponding to the latest official hurricane forecast track. We have also developed a software package (ADCIRC Surge Guidance System – ASGS) that we use on high performance computers to recalculate and update these ADCIRC projections every time a new forecast advisory is issued. And finally, we show the storm surge maps on an interactive web mapper (Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment – CERA) to help our users understand the potential impacts and timing of storm surge. This provides more information to decision makers and first responders to support their due diligence efforts to achieve better outcomes.
  • Instructions: This tool allows users to view current, recent, and storm-specific water heights above Mean Sea Level and wind speed. For specific storms, you can also view the storm track and inundation depth above ground. Note: to access all features, you may need to sign up and request a free account. 1. Select a day or storm of interest at the top left. 2. Zoom into the area of interest to view sea level anomalies. 3. Use the options on the right of the screen to choose other variables to view.
GulfTree: Gulf Tree
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This decision support site guides users to the high tide/nuisance flooding , coastal erosion tools and resources they need along the Gulf Coast through several filters of information, including how much time and effort they’re willing to spend on the tool.
  • Instructions: 1. Choose a Filtered Search to look through all filter categories on one page or choose Guide My Search to walk through questions step by step to achieve what you’re looking for. 2a. If you chose the Filtered Search, first navigate to Geographic Scope. Click the Texas drop-down menu and choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). 2b. Under Tool Function, select what you’d like to use coastal erosion information for. 2c. Under Cost, choose Free. 2d. Under Level of Effort, choose from low, moderate, or high (will determine how advanced the tool is). 2e. Under Climate Change Themes, check the box for Sea Level Rise. 2f. Under Climate Change Topics, select the drop-down for Coastal Processes, then check the box for Erosion. 2g. Click View Tool Matches on the top right to go to the results page. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 3a. If you chose Guide My Search, Gulf Tree will walk you through the same filters by asking 6 questions. For step 1 (Tool Function), check the box for why you need a coastal erosion tool, then click Submit. If you’re not sure which option to use, you can Skip this step. 3b. Step 2 (Topic Area) includes a filter for what aspect of the topic you’re interested in. Click the drop-down menu for Coastal Processes and check the box for Erosion, then click Submit. 3c. On Step 3 (Location), click the Texas drop-down menu, then choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). Then, click Submit. 3d. For Step 4 (Level of Effort), choose how much effort you’d like to put into the tool, which will determine how advanced the tool is. Then, click Submit. 3e. For Step 5 (Tool Cost), choose Free, then click Submit. 3f. Click Leave Guided Search and View Matches to go to the results page or go back to a previous page on the left menu to change your selected options. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 4. To create a new search, click Reset All Filters at the top right of the results page. 1. Choose a Filtered Search to look through all filter categories on one page or choose Guide My Search to walk through questions step by step to achieve what you’re looking for. 2a. If you chose the Filtered Search, first navigate to Geographic Scope. Click the Texas drop-down menu and choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). 2b. Under Tool Function, select what you’d like to use high tide flooding information for. 2c. Under Cost, choose Free. 2d. Under Level of Effort, choose from low, moderate, or high (will determine how advanced the tool is). 2e. Under Climate Change Topics, select the drop-down for Flooding, then check the box for Nuisance Flooding. Explore other drop-down menus in this section to add more filters for additional topics. 2f. Click View Tool Matches on the top right to go to the results page. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 3a. If you chose Guide My Search, Gulf Tree will walk you through the same filters by asking 6 questions. For step 1 (Tool Function), check the box for why you need a high tide flooding tool, then click Submit. If you’re not sure which option to use, you can Skip this step. 3b. Step 2 (Topic Area) includes a filter for what aspect of the topic you’re interested in. Click the drop-down menu for Flooding and check the box for Nuisance Flooding, then click Submit. 3c. On Step 3 (Location), click the Texas drop-down menu, then choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). Then, click Submit. 3d. For Step 4 (Level of Effort), choose how much effort you’d like to put into the tool, which will determine how advanced the tool is. Then, click Submit. 3e. For Step 5 (Tool Cost), choose Free, then click Submit. 3f. Click Leave Guided Search and View Matches to go to the results page or go back to a previous page on the left menu to change your selected options. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 4. To create a new search, click Reset All Filters at the top right of the results page. View the tool
NAS: Climate of the Gulf Coast States: An Examination of Climate Change’s Effects Across the Region
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This four-chapter report is a product of FloodWise Communities, a National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program project led by the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP), the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), and the University of Oklahoma. The document includes an in-depth examination of the climate in TX, LA, AL, MS, GA, and FL. The chapters include: Geography and Average Climatology, Observed Changes in the Climate, Climate Modeling and Future Climate Change, and Climate Hazards.
  • Instructions: view or download
NHC: Storm Surge Risk Maps - National Hurricane Center
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Tropical Storm, Flood
  • About the tool: This mapper allows users to assess their storm surge risk at various hurricane intensities by displaying the maximum possible storm surge for each storm category. This tool can be used to assist in forming evacuation plans for both individuals and decisions makers.
  • Instructions: 1. Zoom to the area of interest. 2. Click through the different categories to view storm surge levels for that area at different hurricane strengths.
NOAA: Relative Sea Level Trends
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This tool uses historical tide gauge data to provide local relative sea level (RSL) trends, which takes into account sea level rise and local vertical land motion. It also provides a time lapse of satellite imagery via Google Earth to visualize the changing coast over time.
  • Instructions: 1. Click Gulf Coast above the map or pan and zoom to the Texas coast on the map. 2. Click a gauge location on the map, represented by an arrow. Note: use the legend under the map for a quick look at the trend for this location. Warmer colors and arrows pointing up represent an increasing trend. 3. A summary of the RSL trend is shown in the pop-up box. 4. Click Linear Trend in the box to view a graph of the RSL trend over time at this location. The summary of the trend information is included below the graph. You can export the data or save the image using the buttons under the graph. 5. To view a time lapse of satellite imagery via Google Maps, click Landsat Imagery from the pop-up box in Step 3. 6. This default image is zoomed into the selected gauge location. You can zoom in and out by using the +/- buttons on the top right of the page. You can also pause the time lapse and view individual years on the bottom of the page.
NOAA: Sea Level Rise Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This interactive mapping tool visualizes impacts from sea level rise and allows users to choose different water levels to view sea level rise projections, overlay community vulnerability, and view high tide flooding frequency. Includes local photo simulations fo what rise will look like at selected location at various levels.
  • Instructions: (A) 1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom into the area of interest. The default map is current water level where darker blues are greater water depths. 3. Click High Tide Flooding on the lefthand menu. Red areas represent shallow coastal flooding areas and tide gauges are shown at select locations (may have to zoom in to view these). 4. Click a tide gauge icon on the map to view a graph of yearly high tide flooding events per year at that location. Note: access the legend by clicking the middle icon on the top right of the screen. (B)1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom into the area of interest. The default map is the current water level, where darker blues are greater water depths. 3. Adjust the vertical slider on the left to project different water levels. 4. To view a photo with simulated water levels, click an icon on the map (may need to zoom in). 5. Click Local Scenarios on the lefthand menu to view relative sea level rise by year and for different scenarios. Click any scenario icon on the map to change locations. 6. View by Scenario tab: Select a local scenario by sliding the scenario marker on the right to view the amount of relative sea level rise associated with that scenario in 20-year increments displayed on the left. View by Year tab: Select a year by sliding the year marker on the right to view the amount of relative sea level rise associated with that year for each of the local sea level rise scenarios on the left. 6. Click Vulnerability on the lefthand menu to overlay social and economic data to see the potential impact to sea level rise. Note: Access the legend by clicking the middle icon on the top right of the screen.
SCIPP: https://surge.climate.lsu.edu/
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood, Tropical Storm
  • About the tool: SURGEDAT is an extensive storm surge database for the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. This site provides access to data and several storm surge tools.This page allows the user to choose a tropical storm/hurricane of interest and view the associated storm surge levels, sea level pressure, and wind speed and direction.
  • Instructions: 1. Select the current storm or click the archive link and select a past storm of interest. 2. A new page will open with a graph of storm surge levels at different station locations over the duration of the event and a map of the storm path and gauge locations. 3. Hover over the storm path on the map to view the wind speed and direction, moving speed, and pressure for points along the path of the storm.
USGS: Coastal Change Hazards Portal
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: A.) Access this tool to view historical shorelines and short- and long-term shoreline change rates due to hurricanes, coastal erosion, and sea level rise. B.) Access this tool to view the Coastal Vulnerability Index and forecasted shoreline changes from sea level rise. (view historical shorelines and short- and long-term shoreline change rates due to hurricanes, coastal erosion, and sea level rise)
  • Instructions: 1A. To view coastal erosion changes, zoom into the area of interest 2. Select Shoreline Change from the righthand menu. 3. Choose to view long-term or short-term shoreline change rates or historical shoreline positions. 4. Click Gulf of Mexico shorelines, then choose Texas. The map will show your selection along the coast coast. 1B. To view projections of vulnerability to sea level rise, zoom in to the area of interest 2. Select Sea-Level Rise from the righthand menu. 3. Select Coastal Vulnerability Index then the option for the Gulf of Mexico to view an area’s vulnerability to sea level rise. Or select Shoreline Change Forecasts → Probabilities of Shoreline Change for Contiguous U.S. then select one of the retreat/advance options (e.g., Probability of high shoreline retreat) to view the probability of future shoreline change over the next 50-100 years. Click the colored line on the map or refer to the legend to determine the risk value or long-term change at that location.

Oklahoma

FEMA: FEMA's Estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Flood
  • About the tool: This tool shows Base Level Engineering datasets, models, maps, and reports that allow users to visualize and download flood risk data for their community and give property owners site-specific flood risk information. This helps them understand the possible risk to their homes and businesses and make informed decisions to reduce damage from future floods.
  • Instructions: 1. In the Select an Area of Interest drop-down menu, select FEMA Region 6. 2. On the next screen, select What’s My Flood Risk? to view a local report with estimated base flood elevation (BFE). 3. A panel of two maps is on the next page: 1% (100-year) and 0.2% (500-year) flood extent on the left and flood depth (1%) on the right. To quickly produce a BFE report, follow the options on the left menu under the Report tab to either enter a location of interest, click a location on the map, or use your current location. Note: A report will only generate when BFE data are available at that location. To view where data are available, zoom in on the map and click a property that is in the 1% flood extent area (purple color on the left map; click Legend next to the Report button on the top left to view the legend). If BLE data are unavailable, a pop-up box will notify you when you click a location. If the property is in a study zone (gray area), the tool will direct you to another tool and will not produce a report. 4. After selecting a location, click View Report. A new page shows the 2-page report with estimated flood extent, flood depth, and base flood elevation. The second page includes more information about using the data and taking action. 5. To explore the map, go back to the BFE Viewer tab on your web browser. Click the Legend tab at the top left of the page. 6. On each map, click Map Layers to choose other data to explore. In the Base Level Engineering drop-down menu, you can select other flood extents or depths, as well as other information. You can view only one map at a time by clicking 1 Map View on the top right of the screen.
SCIPP: SCIPP Temperature Trends Dashboard
Hazard Type/s: Temperature
  • About the tool: This tool shows temperature trends at individual stations across Arkansas, including trends in extremely cold nights, seasonal extreme and average high/low temperatures, and heating degree days, since 1970.
  • Instructions: 1. At the top of the tool, click the Extreme Cold, Heating and Cooling Degree Days, Seasonal Averages, or Seasonal Extremes tab. 2. The default station is in Abilene, TX. To choose a station nearest to you, use the map on the right. Zoom in and click any of the blue dots to change stations. You can also select a station under the Station dropdown menu on the left of the page 3. Use the graph to determine the trend (if any) for your selection. Solid lines represent significant trends. 4. Mouse over individual data points to view more information. 5. For seasonal selections, make sure Winter is selected in the Season drop-down menu on the left of the screen.
SCIPP: Simple Planning Tool
Hazard Type/s: Various, All
  • About the tool: This tool is a compilation of relatively easy-to-use online interactive tools, maps, and graphs to assist planners and emergency managers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas who are assessing their long-term climate risks, both historically and in the future. It is primarily designed for decision-makers who serve small- to medium-sized communities, but may also be of interest to those who serve larger areas. This tool was developed with input from local and state emergency managers and planners. While it may not answer every question one has about hazard climatologies and future trends, it aims to cut through the internet clutter and point to relatively simple data tools that can be used during planning processes and in plans.
  • Instructions: Select State of intrest: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas

Tennessee

TNGOV: TN Wildland Fire
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: A Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry program focused on wildfire prevention, mitigation, and suppression throughout the state.
  • Instructions: To view current wildfires in TN, click on the link or go to: https://www.tn.gov/tnwildlandfire/suppression/current-wildfires.html

Texas

CERA: Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood, Preciptation, Tropical Storm
  • About the tool: In a landfalling tropical cyclone, the wind pushes huge amounts of water onto shore. This storm surge often poses the greatest danger to human life since the rise of water can be as rapid as several feet in just a few minutes. Hurricane forecasts typically focus on a storm’s track and maximum wind speeds. That’s why we use ADCIRC, a computer model with a 25 year track record of success, to calculate the storm surge corresponding to the latest official hurricane forecast track. We have also developed a software package (ADCIRC Surge Guidance System – ASGS) that we use on high performance computers to recalculate and update these ADCIRC projections every time a new forecast advisory is issued. And finally, we show the storm surge maps on an interactive web mapper (Coastal Emergency Risks Assessment – CERA) to help our users understand the potential impacts and timing of storm surge. This provides more information to decision makers and first responders to support their due diligence efforts to achieve better outcomes.
  • Instructions: This tool allows users to view current, recent, and storm-specific water heights above Mean Sea Level and wind speed. For specific storms, you can also view the storm track and inundation depth above ground. Note: to access all features, you may need to sign up and request a free account. 1. Select a day or storm of interest at the top left. 2. Zoom into the area of interest to view sea level anomalies. 3. Use the options on the right of the screen to choose other variables to view.
FEMA: FEMA's Estimated Base Flood Elevation Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Flood
  • About the tool: This tool shows Base Level Engineering datasets, models, maps, and reports that allow users to visualize and download flood risk data for their community and give property owners site-specific flood risk information. This helps them understand the possible risk to their homes and businesses and make informed decisions to reduce damage from future floods.
  • Instructions: 1. In the Select an Area of Interest drop-down menu, select FEMA Region 6. 2. On the next screen, select What’s My Flood Risk? to view a local report with estimated base flood elevation (BFE). 3. A panel of two maps is on the next page: 1% (100-year) and 0.2% (500-year) flood extent on the left and flood depth (1%) on the right. To quickly produce a BFE report, follow the options on the left menu under the Report tab to either enter a location of interest, click a location on the map, or use your current location. Note: A report will only generate when BFE data are available at that location. To view where data are available, zoom in on the map and click a property that is in the 1% flood extent area (purple color on the left map; click Legend next to the Report button on the top left to view the legend). If BLE data are unavailable, a pop-up box will notify you when you click a location. If the property is in a study zone (gray area), the tool will direct you to another tool and will not produce a report. 4. After selecting a location, click View Report. A new page shows the 2-page report with estimated flood extent, flood depth, and base flood elevation. The second page includes more information about using the data and taking action. 5. To explore the map, go back to the BFE Viewer tab on your web browser. Click the Legend tab at the top left of the page. 6. On each map, click Map Layers to choose other data to explore. In the Base Level Engineering drop-down menu, you can select other flood extents or depths, as well as other information. You can view only one map at a time by clicking 1 Map View on the top right of the screen.
GulfTree: Gulf Tree
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This decision support site guides users to the high tide/nuisance flooding , coastal erosion tools and resources they need along the Gulf Coast through several filters of information, including how much time and effort they’re willing to spend on the tool.
  • Instructions: 1. Choose a Filtered Search to look through all filter categories on one page or choose Guide My Search to walk through questions step by step to achieve what you’re looking for. 2a. If you chose the Filtered Search, first navigate to Geographic Scope. Click the Texas drop-down menu and choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). 2b. Under Tool Function, select what you’d like to use coastal erosion information for. 2c. Under Cost, choose Free. 2d. Under Level of Effort, choose from low, moderate, or high (will determine how advanced the tool is). 2e. Under Climate Change Themes, check the box for Sea Level Rise. 2f. Under Climate Change Topics, select the drop-down for Coastal Processes, then check the box for Erosion. 2g. Click View Tool Matches on the top right to go to the results page. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 3a. If you chose Guide My Search, Gulf Tree will walk you through the same filters by asking 6 questions. For step 1 (Tool Function), check the box for why you need a coastal erosion tool, then click Submit. If you’re not sure which option to use, you can Skip this step. 3b. Step 2 (Topic Area) includes a filter for what aspect of the topic you’re interested in. Click the drop-down menu for Coastal Processes and check the box for Erosion, then click Submit. 3c. On Step 3 (Location), click the Texas drop-down menu, then choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). Then, click Submit. 3d. For Step 4 (Level of Effort), choose how much effort you’d like to put into the tool, which will determine how advanced the tool is. Then, click Submit. 3e. For Step 5 (Tool Cost), choose Free, then click Submit. 3f. Click Leave Guided Search and View Matches to go to the results page or go back to a previous page on the left menu to change your selected options. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 4. To create a new search, click Reset All Filters at the top right of the results page. 1. Choose a Filtered Search to look through all filter categories on one page or choose Guide My Search to walk through questions step by step to achieve what you’re looking for. 2a. If you chose the Filtered Search, first navigate to Geographic Scope. Click the Texas drop-down menu and choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). 2b. Under Tool Function, select what you’d like to use high tide flooding information for. 2c. Under Cost, choose Free. 2d. Under Level of Effort, choose from low, moderate, or high (will determine how advanced the tool is). 2e. Under Climate Change Topics, select the drop-down for Flooding, then check the box for Nuisance Flooding. Explore other drop-down menus in this section to add more filters for additional topics. 2f. Click View Tool Matches on the top right to go to the results page. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 3a. If you chose Guide My Search, Gulf Tree will walk you through the same filters by asking 6 questions. For step 1 (Tool Function), check the box for why you need a high tide flooding tool, then click Submit. If you’re not sure which option to use, you can Skip this step. 3b. Step 2 (Topic Area) includes a filter for what aspect of the topic you’re interested in. Click the drop-down menu for Flooding and check the box for Nuisance Flooding, then click Submit. 3c. On Step 3 (Location), click the Texas drop-down menu, then choose Shoreline to select all coastal counties or choose specific one(s). Then, click Submit. 3d. For Step 4 (Level of Effort), choose how much effort you’d like to put into the tool, which will determine how advanced the tool is. Then, click Submit. 3e. For Step 5 (Tool Cost), choose Free, then click Submit. 3f. Click Leave Guided Search and View Matches to go to the results page or go back to a previous page on the left menu to change your selected options. Click any of the tools or resources to go to that site. 4. To create a new search, click Reset All Filters at the top right of the results page. View the tool
NAS: Climate of the Gulf Coast States: An Examination of Climate Change’s Effects Across the Region
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: This four-chapter report is a product of FloodWise Communities, a National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program project led by the Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP), the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA), and the University of Oklahoma. The document includes an in-depth examination of the climate in TX, LA, AL, MS, GA, and FL. The chapters include: Geography and Average Climatology, Observed Changes in the Climate, Climate Modeling and Future Climate Change, and Climate Hazards.
  • Instructions: view or download
NHC: Storm Surge Risk Maps - National Hurricane Center
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Tropical Storm, Flood
  • About the tool: This mapper allows users to assess their storm surge risk at various hurricane intensities by displaying the maximum possible storm surge for each storm category. This tool can be used to assist in forming evacuation plans for both individuals and decisions makers.
  • Instructions: 1. Zoom to the area of interest. 2. Click through the different categories to view storm surge levels for that area at different hurricane strengths.
NOAA: Relative Sea Level Trends
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This tool uses historical tide gauge data to provide local relative sea level (RSL) trends, which takes into account sea level rise and local vertical land motion. It also provides a time lapse of satellite imagery via Google Earth to visualize the changing coast over time.
  • Instructions: 1. Click Gulf Coast above the map or pan and zoom to the Texas coast on the map. 2. Click a gauge location on the map, represented by an arrow. Note: use the legend under the map for a quick look at the trend for this location. Warmer colors and arrows pointing up represent an increasing trend. 3. A summary of the RSL trend is shown in the pop-up box. 4. Click Linear Trend in the box to view a graph of the RSL trend over time at this location. The summary of the trend information is included below the graph. You can export the data or save the image using the buttons under the graph. 5. To view a time lapse of satellite imagery via Google Maps, click Landsat Imagery from the pop-up box in Step 3. 6. This default image is zoomed into the selected gauge location. You can zoom in and out by using the +/- buttons on the top right of the page. You can also pause the time lapse and view individual years on the bottom of the page.
NOAA: Sea Level Rise Viewer
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood
  • About the tool: This interactive mapping tool visualizes impacts from sea level rise and allows users to choose different water levels to view sea level rise projections, overlay community vulnerability, and view high tide flooding frequency. Includes local photo simulations fo what rise will look like at selected location at various levels.
  • Instructions: (A) 1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom into the area of interest. The default map is current water level where darker blues are greater water depths. 3. Click High Tide Flooding on the lefthand menu. Red areas represent shallow coastal flooding areas and tide gauges are shown at select locations (may have to zoom in to view these). 4. Click a tide gauge icon on the map to view a graph of yearly high tide flooding events per year at that location. Note: access the legend by clicking the middle icon on the top right of the screen. (B)1. Click Get Started. 2. Zoom into the area of interest. The default map is the current water level, where darker blues are greater water depths. 3. Adjust the vertical slider on the left to project different water levels. 4. To view a photo with simulated water levels, click an icon on the map (may need to zoom in). 5. Click Local Scenarios on the lefthand menu to view relative sea level rise by year and for different scenarios. Click any scenario icon on the map to change locations. 6. View by Scenario tab: Select a local scenario by sliding the scenario marker on the right to view the amount of relative sea level rise associated with that scenario in 20-year increments displayed on the left. View by Year tab: Select a year by sliding the year marker on the right to view the amount of relative sea level rise associated with that year for each of the local sea level rise scenarios on the left. 6. Click Vulnerability on the lefthand menu to overlay social and economic data to see the potential impact to sea level rise. Note: Access the legend by clicking the middle icon on the top right of the screen.
SCIPP: https://surge.climate.lsu.edu/
Hazard Type/s: Coastal, Flood, Tropical Storm
  • About the tool: SURGEDAT is an extensive storm surge database for the Gulf of Mexico and East Coast. This site provides access to data and several storm surge tools.This page allows the user to choose a tropical storm/hurricane of interest and view the associated storm surge levels, sea level pressure, and wind speed and direction.
  • Instructions: 1. Select the current storm or click the archive link and select a past storm of interest. 2. A new page will open with a graph of storm surge levels at different station locations over the duration of the event and a map of the storm path and gauge locations. 3. Hover over the storm path on the map to view the wind speed and direction, moving speed, and pressure for points along the path of the storm.
SCIPP: SCIPP Temperature Trends Dashboard
Hazard Type/s: Temperature
  • About the tool: This tool shows temperature trends at individual stations across Arkansas, including trends in extremely cold nights, seasonal extreme and average high/low temperatures, and heating degree days, since 1970.
  • Instructions: 1. At the top of the tool, click the Extreme Cold, Heating and Cooling Degree Days, Seasonal Averages, or Seasonal Extremes tab. 2. The default station is in Abilene, TX. To choose a station nearest to you, use the map on the right. Zoom in and click any of the blue dots to change stations. You can also select a station under the Station dropdown menu on the left of the page 3. Use the graph to determine the trend (if any) for your selection. Solid lines represent significant trends. 4. Mouse over individual data points to view more information. 5. For seasonal selections, make sure Winter is selected in the Season drop-down menu on the left of the screen.
SCIPP: Simple Planning Tool
Hazard Type/s: Various, All
  • About the tool: This tool is a compilation of relatively easy-to-use online interactive tools, maps, and graphs to assist planners and emergency managers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas who are assessing their long-term climate risks, both historically and in the future. It is primarily designed for decision-makers who serve small- to medium-sized communities, but may also be of interest to those who serve larger areas. This tool was developed with input from local and state emergency managers and planners. While it may not answer every question one has about hazard climatologies and future trends, it aims to cut through the internet clutter and point to relatively simple data tools that can be used during planning processes and in plans.
  • Instructions: Select State of intrest: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas
SCIPP: TX-Annual and Monthly Distributions of Cloud to Ground Lightning in Texas
Hazard Type/s: Lightning
  • About the tool: These static maps show the cloud to ground lightning density (strikes per km2) over Texas, averaged over the years 1995-2019. There are five maps on the document that display annual and seasonal (winter, spring, summer, and fall) densities.
  • Instructions: 1. Click on the link below. 2. Click Download the Document. Annual and seasonal maps are displayed with a brief description.
TAMU-FS: Historical Fire Statistics
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: This tool provides historical wildfire statistics for Texas, including annual reports of state- and county-level wildfire statistics (e.g., total fires, acres burned), lists of significant wildfires, and case studies.
  • Instructions: 1. Under Fire Statistics, view the state-wide total number of wildfires and acres burned by year in the table below. To view state-level statistics by month or annual county-level statistics for a year, click one of the hyperlinked years in the table to open the report. 2. Scroll down the page to view other significant wildfires in Texas history and case studies. Note: Most statistics and information include data starting in 2005, but the Largest Wildfires in Texas History has a longer period of record that isn’t listed.
TWDB: Texas Drought Monitor Time Series
Hazard Type/s: Drought
  • About the tool: This tool shows the frequency of drought conditions since 2000, along with each drought’s maximum intensity and duration (shown by color scale).
  • Instructions: 1. This page first shows a large map of current U.S. Drought Monitor categories across Texas. Select a county you’re interested in from the map or leave the map as the default for statewide information. 2. A graph will be displayed under the map, showing the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor categories from 2000 to present day for your selected county or the state. On the graph, hover over the time period of interest to get information on percentages of area in the different levels of drought across the county/state.
TWDB: Texas Reservoirs Supply Storage
Hazard Type/s: Drought
  • About the tool: This interactive tool provides recent and historical reservoir storage data across Texas. You can view graphs of recent and historical reservoir storage for the dead pool, conservation pool, and flood pool, as well as statistics of monthly averages for percent full for the most recent 30 years.
  • Instructions: 1. Select a reservoir by clicking on the map then clicking the link in the pop-up box OR select a regional area from one of the drop-down menus above (By Planning Area, By River Basin, etc.). 2. Recent data is shown on the graph by default. Select the Historical tab below the graph to view the data for the period of record. 3. To view monthly percent full statistics, click the Statistics tab. 4. The tables below the graph show statistics up to one year in the past, and additional reservoir information is located further down the page. "This dashboard was developed in collaboration with Texas Sea Grant. Reach out to the SCIPP team at scipp@southernclimate.org with any comments or questions, or to share how you are using this dashboard!"
TXSCO: Assessment of Historic and Future Trends of Extreme Weather in Texas, 1900-2036
Hazard Type/s: Extremes, Precipitation, Flood
  • About the tool: This report from the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&M University describes the various natural hazards that threaten Texas. For each hazard, the report discusses the current state, historic trends, and the data available on the hazard. It also discusses the future trend of that hazard, if there is enough evidence to do so.
  • Instructions: view or download
TxWRAP: Texas Wildfire Risk Explorer
Hazard Type/s: Wildfire
  • About the tool: This interactive tool within the Texas Wildfire Risk Assessment Portal (TxWRAP) can be used to identify areas within Texas that are at greatest risk of wildfire and view historical wildfire occurrences. It is especially useful for identifying areas of risk in the wildland-urban interface and prioritizing areas where tactical analyses, community interaction, or mitigation treatments might be necessary to reduce risk. Note: Basic Viewer is accessible to anyone. Advanced Viewer is also free but requires account request.
  • Instructions: 1. Choose Basic or Advanced Viewer. Follow the upcoming instructions for the Basic option. 2. Pan and zoom in to the area of interest on the map. 3. Click on Map Themes in the upper left-hand corner. 4. Under the Wildfire Risk section on the left side of the screen, select the layer you want to view. Details about each layer can be found by hovering over the circular “i” icon. 5. To compare layers, such as WUI Response Index and Community Protection Zones, click on the icon to the right of the search icon on the top right of the map. You can choose two selections from drop-down menus. 6. View historical wildfire ignition locations and large wildfires in the Historical Fire Occurrence section. For wildfire ignitions, you can zoom in and click on a point to view information about that wildfire, such as date, acres burned, and cause of ignition. Note: Data are displayed at a very fine (25-meter) resolution, so you may need to greatly zoom in to view more details on the map. The Advanced version of this tool provides many more features, including the ability to upload your own shapefiles, download the map and associated GIS data for your area, generate a risk summary report for your area, and download an editable summary report to be used for Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development.
USGS: Coastal Change Hazards Portal
Hazard Type/s: Coastal
  • About the tool: A.) Access this tool to view historical shorelines and short- and long-term shoreline change rates due to hurricanes, coastal erosion, and sea level rise. B.) Access this tool to view the Coastal Vulnerability Index and forecasted shoreline changes from sea level rise. (view historical shorelines and short- and long-term shoreline change rates due to hurricanes, coastal erosion, and sea level rise)
  • Instructions: 1A. To view coastal erosion changes, zoom into the area of interest 2. Select Shoreline Change from the righthand menu. 3. Choose to view long-term or short-term shoreline change rates or historical shoreline positions. 4. Click Gulf of Mexico shorelines, then choose Texas. The map will show your selection along the coast coast. 1B. To view projections of vulnerability to sea level rise, zoom in to the area of interest 2. Select Sea-Level Rise from the righthand menu. 3. Select Coastal Vulnerability Index then the option for the Gulf of Mexico to view an area’s vulnerability to sea level rise. Or select Shoreline Change Forecasts → Probabilities of Shoreline Change for Contiguous U.S. then select one of the retreat/advance options (e.g., Probability of high shoreline retreat) to view the probability of future shoreline change over the next 50-100 years. Click the colored line on the map or refer to the legend to determine the risk value or long-term change at that location.
USGS: Earthquake Hazards Information-TX
Hazard Type/s: Earthquake
  • About the tool: Additional information about earthquakes in Texas can be found on this page.
  • Instructions: Click on links of interest.