White House launches new portal to help U.S. communities assess exposure to climate hazards

This sample screenshot shows part of the CMRA dashboard. Credit: CMRA

The White House, U.S. Department of the Interior, and U.S. Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration jointly launched a new website to help communities across the nation analyze their exposure to a range of climate-related hazards and use this information to apply for federal funds to support climate resiliency projects for their communities. The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA) portal, an easily accessible and interactive website, will help federal, state, local and tribal governments as well as non-profit organizations learn about climate hazards impacting their most under-resourced, exposed communities. It will also help identify potential sources of federal funding to help them build resilience.

CMRA integrates decision-relevant information from across the U.S. Federal government, including climate maps and data; non-climate data such as building code standards, economic justice, and social vulnerability information; and federal grant funding opportunities. The site’s new CMRA Assessment Tool offers information on past, present, and projected future climate conditions to help planners and managers screen their exposure to climate-related hazards, including drought, extreme heat, coastal and inland flooding, and wildfire. The site helps users create their own custom climate exposure assessment for specific locations and customize statistics and visual representations of the hazards in their particular area. The portal also serves as a key tool to aid in planning and implementing federally funded climate resilience projects under the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). CMRA directs users to various federal grant programs that can help them obtain funding they need to take action to reduce their climate-related risks.

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