- How will the changes in climate extremes affect the watershed hydrological response and associated geohazards, such as floods and landslides?
- What barriers do rural communities face in geohazard risk reduction? How can rural communities leverage climate change-induced extreme weather projections to mitigate geohazard risks?
Geohazard modeling aims to evaluate the changes in risks linked to various natural disasters, such as floods and landslides, which are expected to worsen due to variations in extreme rainfall patterns in an increasingly warm climate. The flood risk modeling method involves the application of the flood risk assessment tool in the Rural Hazard Resilience Tools (RHRT). This tool integrates the Height Above the Nearest Drainage (HAND) model and National Streamflow Statistics (NSS) model, and the risk assessment functions in the HAZUS program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The landslide risk assessment is based on changes in the safety factor, due to rainfall infiltration, using a simple infinite-slope model. These approaches are utilized to assess the changes in risks related to floods and landslides in projected extreme rainfall characteristics compared to the current rainfall patterns, which will help build climate-resilient communities in the Western Upper Peninsula.