Title: FEMA Region IX Holds Meetings for the California Coastal Analysis and Mapping
Project / Open Pacific Coast Study
Author: Vince Geronimo, Program Manager, Open Pacific Coast Study
Short Story [for Coastal Beat]:
During the first week of December 2012, the FEMA Region IX Office hosted a series of
technical meetings and a stakeholder workshop in Oakland, California. The technical meetings
were facilitated by FEMA’s Production and Technical Services contractor, BakerAECOM and
included study partners from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Oceanweather Inc. as well
as members of the Open Pacific Coast Study Technical Advisory Panel. The federal and state
agencies participating in the stakeholder workshop included: NOAA Coastal Services Center,
U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - South Pacific Division, California
Department of Water Resources, California State Lands Commission, California Geological
Survey, Caltrans, California State Coastal Conservancy, Ocean Protection Council, and
California Emergency Management Agency.
-continue readingLong Story [to be posted on the website]:
The meetings included technical discussions between BakerAECOM and their study partners
Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and Oceanweather Inc. (OWI) and members of the
Open Pacific Coast Study Technical Advisory Panel (TAP). The TAP is comprised of six
panelists recognized nationally for their expertise in coastal hazard identification, hazard
mitigation and coastal engineering. The TAP includes: Michael Delcharco [Taylor Engineering],
Christopher P. Jones [Consulting Coastal Engineer], Dale Kerper [DHI], William G. McDougal
[Professor at Oregon State University], Ray Walton [WEST Consultants, Inc.], and Frank Wu
[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers].
The technical discussions included topics covering OWI’s Global Re-Analysis of Ocean Waves
Model; SIO’s Monitoring and Prediction (MOP) Model [50-year hindcast]; OWI- and CDIPdriven wave hindcasts; MOP wave transformation results for Central & Northern California;
storm selection; transect locations and 1-dimensional hazard analyses (wave setup, wave runup,
dune erosion, coastal structures evaluation, overtopping, and overland wave propagation);
bathymetry and other unique characteristics of the Southern California region.
Stakeholder Workshop - At the December workshop, FEMA hosted state and Federal agencies
as part of a stakeholder summit to encourage our partners to build relationships that work to
support coastal communities and form a catalyst for mitigation actions. A spokesperson from
each agency provided an overview of their agency’s activities and how they might work with the
OPC Study team. It was clear during the overviews that many agencies are actively involved in
addressing sea level rise which provides a nexus, in terms of mitigation and adaptation, to
FEMA’s efforts to help communities be more resilient. FEMA will assist communities with
adaptation strategies that result in mitigation actions as well as connect coastal communities to
people and organizations/ agencies who have capacities and resources to assist communities.
The workshop discussion included coastal data needs; synergies between agency
missions/projects; aligning communication, messaging, and risk reduction strategies; and
projects that will be impacted by or will impact the OPC Study. The FEMA OPC Study team
will plan subsequent workshops, forums or webinars to continue to build partnerships with state
and federal agencies in 2013 and beyond. More information can be found on the CCAMP
website at www.r9coastal.org.
Not used:
The OPC Study has gained the interest of over 1,000 stakeholders from various federal and state
agencies, coastal communities, community organizations, non-profits, individuals and other
collaborative groups. FEMA facilitates focused stakeholder engagement activities as part of our
overall outreach campaign. For example, in November FEMA hosted a webinar titled, “Outreach
for Coastal Community Officials” to provide information on outreach tools and resources to
facilitate communication with communities affected by coastal flood hazards or involved in
mitigation activities.