Making an Impact In Erie County
This project was made possible through a grant from the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments program (GLISA) as well as support through NOAA and Erie Insurance.
The goal was to build a foundation for adaptation and resilience work in Erie by walking municipalities and community groups through the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit’s “Steps to Resilience” Framework. This process will help Erie better recover from severe weather and more frequently occurring extreme weather events. It worked to identify and prioritize Erie’s greatest risks and vulnerabilities, and develop action strategies needed to become more resilient and better prepared.
Watch the video and click on the icons below to learn more about each of the steps in this process.
This video from the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit provides an overview of each of the steps in the Steps to Resilience framework.
Step 1: Explore Hazards
In this step, the project team worked with GLISA to obtain Erie-specific climate data and climate projections. A community-wide survey was also implemented to explore the perceptions, concerns, and experiences of community members about extreme weather events. Click on the icon to learn more.
Step 2: Assess Vulnerabilities and Risks
In this step, the project team worked with shoreline municipalities to conduct a vulnerability assessment that helped to identify community preparedness in sectors such as critical infrastructure, social systems, transportation, and more.
Step 3: Investigate Options
In November 2023, a workshop was held for municipal staff to consider climate scenarios that would help them plan for a future with conditions that look different than what has been experienced in the past. Participants then used these scenarios to brainstorm possible solutions and actions that could be implemented to build resilience to these hazards.
Step 4: Prioritize and Plan
Implementing all the resilience projects in one community at one time is impossible; therefore, prioritizing the most beneficial, cost-efficient, and timely actions is essential.
Step 5: Take Action! (Coming soon)
Implementation involves compiling the prioritized action strategies and recommendations and incorporating them into existing planning processes. CRANE hopes to be able to support the implementation of these strategies with future grants and funding opportunities.
Share your Erie Weather Stories
Local knowledge comes from the experiences, perceptions, and concerns, of community members. This information helps us to better understand priority needs and barriers, identify gaps in knowledge, and create tools and resources to address those needs. CRANE created the “Preparing for Extreme Weather in Erie, Pennsylvania” Survey to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to share their stories and create an understanding of the communities’ greatest challenges.