Camden County Georgia has launched a new tool to help residents understand the risks posed by flooding and sea level rise.
The Flood Awareness Tool, or Flood Risk App, combines local infrastructure and land use data with current and future flood risk data as well as sea level rise projections to produce flood risk maps.
County officials hope the tool will help locals make better decisions when it comes to building or buying in flood-prone areas and provide actionable steps to reduce flood risk and prepare for extreme weather events like hurricanes.
More than a third of Camden County residents live in the 100-year floodplain and half of all the land in the county is classified as wetlands.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to provide specific information to local residents,” said CRS, E&S Coordinator Scott Brazell. “Camden County residents and stakeholders have more data to help them make educated decisions about their potential flood hazards.”
To learn more about the tool and how to use it, go to CamdenCountyGA.gov/FloodTool.
The Flood Awareness Tool was created in partnership with the Camden County Community Rating System, Erosion & Sedimentation Coordinator, the City of St. Marys Community Development Department, the Coastal Regional Commission, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Coastal Resources Division, the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and The Nature Conservancy.
Funding for the project came from a Coastal Incentive Grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Brendan Rivers can be reached at brivers@wjct.org, 904-358-6396 or on Twitter at @BrendanRivers.
