Examining Flood Risk Assessment in West Virginia
Sustainable Development Internship 2023
Area of Inquiry
Environmental Justice, Climate Action and Community Wellbeing
The Center for Resilient Communities (CRC) has explored issues of health disparities, environmental hazards, water quality and flood disasters related to past environmental degradation and ongoing climate impacts in WV and Appalachia. The CRC's inquiry is rooted in a vision of environmental justice, democratic participation, and vibrant communities that are prepared to address environmental degradation, water insecurity, climate risks and promote the health and wellbeing of all.
The work completed by the Climate Action Group in the 2023 Spring semester supports the research completed under this area of inquiry.
Sustainable Development Internship (SDI) Project
During the 2023 Spring Semester, five undergraduate students came together to further the research taking place in the EJL, creating the semester's Climate Action Group. Through the SDI Program, these students studied the lack of community involvement in flood risk assessment efforts, and the resulting impacts on communities’ ability to build resiliency against flood events.
The research that took place throughout the semester relates directly to UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Along with SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. The project had additional connections to SDGs 1 (no poverty), 3 (good health and well-being), and 17 (partnerships for the goals).
Click here for more information on UN SDGs.
Research Purpose
Flooding is a worldwide hazard that is presently being exacerbated by climate change. Rural communities and environments face on-going hazards including: lack of community planning and resources at local and national levels, inefficient information for direction and analyses, prolonged or absent governmental assistance, and more. This trajectory can be followed in urban areas as well. This gave rise to the question of how is flood risk assessed, and furthermore how does this contribute to effective flood planning?
Specially, in West Virginia, students sought to discover whether or not current applications related to flood risk assessment (that being are used to support flood planning) address the severity of vulnerability across the state. Additionally, they studied how the 2004 WV Flood Plan and other plans prepare communities to be resilient in the midst of flooding events, while noting areas of improvement. In doing this, the Climate Action group seeked a means to train future agents of change through a process that synthesized collective inquiry, collaboration, and capacity-building throughout the components of the project and beyond.
Cheat River Watershed
The Cheat River watershed (shown in green on the map) is home to about 40,000 residents. It is iconic for its beautiful environment and abundant resources. These factors equip the region with unlimited opportunities for socio-economic advancement of livelihoods through outdoor recreation and tourism.
Despite its beauty and potential for opportunity, the history of the Cheat river and watershed still exemplifies West Virginia’s relationship with flood hazard.
Flooding in the Cheat River Watershed
The mid-1900s until the early 2000s is plagued with news about property damage and deaths from deadly floods. In February of 1957 a flooding event in southern West Virginia swept away numerous homes. The catastrophic disaster was caused President Eisenhower to declare at least 28 Appalachian counties as disaster areas and require the assistance of the National Guard in evacuation and recovery efforts.
28 years later, WV saw another fatal flood event in the already vulnerable Cheat watershed, the "Great West Virginia Flood of 1985." As a result of massive spikes in rain and water heights, West Virginia's communities residing near the Cheat River, Tygart Valley, West Fork river basins, and the southwestern area of the state face housing and business destruction. Most areas recorded water levels higher than 10 feet above the general flood stage. Footage of the devastating flood can be viewed in the video on the right.
The Great Flood of 1985, and several flooding events that followed it, led to government recognition of the need for a statewide flood plan. The plan was created over several years and later enacted in 2004.
2004 WV Flood Plan Analysis
In an effort to analyze the state flood plan, strengthens and weakness of the document were highlighted. Students found that despite the West Virginia flood plan having not been updated since 2004, the foundations and elements laid out give hope and strength, nonetheless, towards the creation of a safer and more sustainable future for West Virginia. This is reflected with the flood plan’s comprehensive and clear goals, showing a future that can be inclusive to everyone and their socio-economic facets. Challenging as they are, the detailed objectives of the plan place urgency into protecting West Virginia from the devastating consequences of flooding. The flood plan also addresses and shows understanding of what issues need to be resolved. Although the completion statuses of these issues remain in question, the flood plan realizes its scope of work, including matters such as producing reliable flood warnings, accessible flood-damage assessments, and education initiatives to local leaders and professionals. Elements of inclusion are identified within community data and their vulnerability backgrounds. Additionally, there is identification of existing roles of state and local agencies that define accountability and responsibility to the community during flood events and resiliency planning.
The current statewide flood plan is nearly 20 years old, making much of the data inaccurate and out-dated for flood planning today. There are also factors that make the document inaccessible as it is a 365 page document without an index. Indexes aid readers in finding specific information, especially in large pieces of work. Unfortunately, and most importantly, the WV flood plan is missing feedback from the community. The average West Virginia resident is seemingly forgotten about in this plan as the focus is tailored to industry and politics. The writers of this plan seem to have not engaged in collective inquiry during the writing process, and thus the plan is not equitable to many residents. The plan could become much more useful with sufficient community engagement both in the writing and application of the document. Overall, the WV statewide flood plan is missing a call to action, an inclusion of community participation, and a layout of the steps necessary to build and sustain resilience.
Analysis of Existing Flood Applications
During the Spring the EJL analyzed six, existing flood risk applications, such as the FEMA’s Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool (RAPT) and the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool. After conducting individual assessment of each tool, findings led to the conclusion that the current applications available do not thoroughly address the severity of vulnerability present in West Virginia. Most of all, many gaps in the current flood risk data were discovered. The majority of students making up the Climate Action Team were native to West Virginia and able to discredit certain data points based on personal-lived experiences. For instance, no floods were reported in Berkeley county. On the contrary, multiple teammates had previously witnessed flooding in Martinsburg, WV. Thus, work continues to occur within the EJL to fill these gaps to create a community GIS planning tool that adequately addresses the intensity of flood vulnerability in West Virginia.
Interact with FEMA’s Resilience Analysis and Planning Tool on the right side of your screen.
Albright, West Virginia
Aerial photos visualize the damages of the 1985 flood event.
Albright was a community left devastated by the flood that occurred on November 4th, 1985. 110 out of the 132 homes in Albright, West Virginia, were destroyed in the previously mentioned "Great West Virginia Flood of 1985." The results of these catastrophic floods damaged homes, livelihoods, businesses, and other critical resources. Since 1985, flooding and climate change have continued to create uncertainty about the future for young people. Flooding has further burdened communities in West Virginia that have already been experiencing lasting impacts on infrastructure and community well-being due to extractive industries and the political economy. Particularly, the town of Albright has experienced a deep history of coal and timber extraction that further produces vulnerability or prehazard precarity to flooding. Understanding the history of extraction, and the social, political, and economic systems is necessary to understand the present-day issues that create further vulnerability to these extreme events.
These factors made Albright an appropriate location to conduct a flood risk assessment case study during the SDI experience.
Community Insight
During the case study, the Climate Action Team was able to visit Albright and conduct seven interviews with different community members and local activists. These conversations allowed members of the EJL SDI to highlight common themes at a local-level that validated initial research on WV flood planning. Specially, it was discovered in Albright:
- A lack of solidarity, security, and community exists
- Poverty is manifested at individual, local, and state levels
- Presence of dilapidated infrastructure as a result of previous flooding, leaving the community unprepared for future flood events
- The general lack of accurate flood risk assessment in WV has left the community of Albright in a state of disarray, with little infrastructure or resources to rehabilitate following major flood events
These themes limit communities' capacity to build resilience amidst flooding events across WV and must be considered in efforts of generating an effective flood plan and conducting flood risk assessments for the state.
". . . finding solidarity in this climate can be really difficult . . . a disaster, . . . can unify the community pretty strongly." -Friends of Cheat Representative, Madison
Climate Action Team Member conducts interview in Albright with local activist.
Conclusions
During the course of this project, students learned about different factors that make a community more or less vulnerable to the effects of flooding. These factors must be considered to conduct meaningful, future flood risk assessments and flood plans. Key findings indicate that the current 2004 WV Flood Plan and existing application require certain adjustments and updating to promote the generation of flood resilient communities. Adjustments should occur in consultation with community members to create representative data and plans that are accurate and useful. This cannot happen in a process that neglects collective inquiry. A main priority is to have more community input in the decision making process to create more sustainable and resilient communities across WV.
Future Efforts of the EJL
One of the targets of SDG 13 is to "build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change" (13.3). Specifically, the EJL aims to prepare individuals living in Albright and other communities of WV to become more resilient in the midst of potential, future flooding events. To further the work that was completed during the 2023 SDI, the Climate Action team hopes to create flood planning tools that makes data publicly available, thus expanding public knowledge. Also to generate maps that accurately depict assessments of risk and vulnerability by emphasizing an effort towards community integration. By using data created in a process of community integration, tools will display local knowledge regarding the impacts of climate change and provoke communities' agency in the decision making processes.
Call to Action
What can you do to support flood resilience in WV?
The EJL encourages you to get involved and work within your community to develop a flood plan. Spend time listening to local concerns when developing flood tools and completing flood assessments. It is important to be involved in local efforts to maintain/manage local watersheds and be educated on local concerns regarding flooding and watersheds.
There are several organizations that are working to advocate for the improvement of waters, flood resilience, and climate change action throughout the state. Explore the resources that exist and take initiative in efforts toward change!
Friends of the Cheat (FOC)
Friends of the Cheat's mission is to restore, preserve, and promote the outstanding natural qualities of the Cheat River Watershed.
West Virginia Rivers Coalition (WVRC)
West Virginia Rivers Coalition's (WV Rivers) mission is to conserve and restore West Virginia’s exceptional rivers and streams. They value clean water as the foundation of life. They believe that all people should respect and be able to enjoy clean West Virginia rivers and streams. They operate under the premise that inclusive and diverse civic engagement is the key to building political power to affect change.
West Virginia Climate Alliance
The West Virginia Climate Alliance is a broad-based coalition of 20 environmental organizations, faith-based, civil rights and civic organizations, and other groups focused on climate change. Members of the Alliance work together to provide science-based education on climate change to West Virginia citizens and policymakers.