Coastal Inundation Community of Practice

The Coastal Inundation Community of Practice is a national network of practitioners that facilitates peer-to-peer learning, information exchange, and collaborative engagement to advance coastal flooding science, knowledge and solutions.

Coastal inundation - water on normally dry ground as a result of flooding - is a complex problem that requires a multidisciplinary, long-term, coordinated effort to address. The impact of coastal inundation can be devastating, leading to property damage, displacement of populations, and loss of life. Collaboration across the public, private, non-profit, and academic sectors ensures that the best available knowledge and expertise are being utilized to address inundation in coastal communities. NOAA's Office for Coastal Management (OCM), the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO), and the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) are collaboratively building and facilitating the Coastal Inundation Community of Practice to advance resilience to flooding now and in the future.

Ingredients for a Successful Community of Practice

Resilience Networks Inventory

Vulnerability Assessment Resource Guide

This inventory is a compilation of existing coastal resilience networks at a local or regional level, organized by geographic region. The tables include information such as the network name, geographic focus, additional information about the network (topics/mission and activities when available) and contact information. The scope of these networks may extend to matters beyond coastal inundation, but inundation is a part of their focus area. If you know of additional networks in your area, please let us know so we can update this resource !

Webinar Series: Understanding the Sea Level Calculator’s Quick Views (August - September 2025)

Summer Webinar: NOAA Disaster Preparedness Program (July 2025)

Coffee Chat: NOAA's Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA): Filling Gaps on Maps Through Community-Based Modeling (July 2025)

CORA pairs historical observations from NOAA tide gauges with modern computer models to fill gaps in historical records. The dataset helps create a more complete and consistent picture of historical water levels by modeling waves and water levels between NOAA tide gauges. This reanalysis for the Gulf, Atlantic, and Caribbean is made possible through observations from National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). This celebrated, novel approach of combining models and observations can be used to better assess long-term sea level change and compare current flood risks to those of the past, especially in areas where such data is currently unavailable.

Webinar: Regional Resilience Networks (June 2025)

Coffee Chat: Special Improvement Districts (June 2025)

Special improvement districts are a proven tool used across the country to establish public-private partnerships and tackle complex resilience challenges. The Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District was created in 2015 to preserve and restore Waikīkī Beach. Commercial properties in Waikīkī are assessed a Beach Special Improvement tax based on their property value. Learn how the Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District has successfully funded resilience initiatives over the past decade —and consider how this model might apply in your community.

Innovative Partnership and Strategies for Building Community Resilience (March 2025)

Coastal Inundation Community of Practice Workshop in Seattle, WA (November 2024)

NOAA's Office for Coastal Management (OCM) , the National Sea Grant Office (NSGO) , and the American Society of Adaptation Professionals (ASAP) hosted the 2024 Coastal Inundation Community of Practice Workshop on November 12-14, 2024, at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle, Washington. This workshop brought together 100 coastal flooding practitioners representing diverse transdisciplinary perspectives. This in-person workshop provided a unique opportunity to build relationships among practitioners from across the country. Coastal communities faced tremendous inundation threats, and local practitioners addressed these challenges with innovative solutions that transformed coastal ecosystems, built environments, and socioeconomic structures.

“Community Roundtable” Discussion: Advancing Flood Resilience in Rural Communities (August 2024)

Vulnerability Assessment Case Studies (May 2024)

Virtual Kick-off (January 2024)

This event launched the Coastal Inundation Community of Practice by creating a collaborative space for participants to connect, listen, share, support, and learn from others on coastal flood risk management challenges. Participants were introduced to the Coastal Inundation Community of Practice, provided input on future activities, and networked with peers. During a panel discussion, speakers shared coastal inundation challenges they face and their perspectives on how the community of practice will be of value in addressing them.

Are you involved in a resilience project that uses art to engage communities or address coastal inundation challenges? We are seeking success stories, innovative projects, and individuals who are using art as a method to communicate, inspire, and engage with communities.

Whether it’s through visual art, performance, installations, or other creative approaches, we want to hear how art is helping to raise awareness, spark dialogue, and build stronger, more resilient communities. If you’ve worked on a project that blends art with resilience efforts, or if you know of someone who has, we invite you to share your story with us.

Please email us at ocm.sg@noaa.gov to contribute, learn more, or get involved. We look forward to highlighting the power of art in building resilience to coastal inundation at a future virtual engagement!