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CityofSanAntonioSustainabilityPlan:ClimateVulnerabilityAssessment
February2016
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TableofContentsTableofContents......................................................................................................................2 TableofFigures.........................................................................................................................3 TableofTables..........................................................................................................................4 1.0ExecutiveSummary..........................................................................................................5 2.0Introduction........................................................................................................................8 3.0ClimateandtheCityofSanAntonio............................................................................9 4.0CollaborativeProjectProcesswiththeResilienceAdvisoryCommittee...12
4.1OnlinesurveytodevelopinitiallistofKeyAreasofConcern..............................12 4.2CollaborativeWorkshop.....................................................................................................14 4.3VulnerabilityAssessmentProcess...................................................................................16
5.0ResultsoftheVulnerabilityAssessment................................................................18 5.1HighVulnerabilityAreasofConcern.............................................................................18 5.1.1ExtremeHeatImpactstoVulnerablePopulations ...............................18 5.1.2VectorBorneDiseasesandImpactstoPublicHealth ..........................26
5.2Medium‐HighVulnerabilities............................................................................................28 5.2.1Criticalinfrastructureinthe100‐yearfloodplain ................................28 5.2.2CriticalTransportationInfrastructure ..................................................30 5.2.3Lowwatercrossingshighcallrescuesites ...........................................31 5.2.4Localfoodsecurity ..................................................................................31
5.3MediumVulnerabilities.......................................................................................................33 5.3.1PoorAirQualityandPotentialNon‐AttainmentDuetoOzone ...........33 5.3.2Wildfires ...................................................................................................34 5.3.3Multi‐familyresidencesin100‐yearfloodplain ...................................35
5.4Medium‐LowVulnerabilities.............................................................................................36 5.4.1Single‐familyresidencein100‐yearfloodplain ....................................36 5.4.2Extremeheatimpactsonnativespecies(trees) ...................................36 5.4.3Geographicdistributionofthemunicipalwatersupply ......................36
5.5LowVulnerabilities...............................................................................................................39 5.5.1Waterqualityduringdroughts ..............................................................39 5.5.2Wastewatertreatmentandsewageoverflow ......................................39 5.5.3Municipalwaterpeakdemand ...............................................................40 5.5.4Coolingwateravailableforpowerplants .............................................41
6.0ActionsandNextSteps..................................................................................................42 6.1Flooding.....................................................................................................................................42 6.2ExtremeHeat...........................................................................................................................46 6.3Drought......................................................................................................................................47 6.4Wildfire.......................................................................................................................................48 6.5ClimateInformation.............................................................................................................49
7.0Appendices........................................................................................................................50 8.0References.........................................................................................................................55
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TableofFiguresFigure1:Sidebysidecomparisonoftherelativesocialvulnerabilityindexrankingsand
theurbanheatislandeffectforBexarCounty........................................................................6 Figure2:MapoftheCityofSanAntonio,majorwaterways,andsurroundingareas...............8 Figure3:Observedyear‐to‐yearvaluesandlong‐termtrendsinwinterandsummer
averagetemperaturebyseason.................................................................................................10 Figure4:Observedyear‐to‐yearvaluesandlong‐termtrendsinthenumberofdaysper
yearwithmaximumtemperaturesexceeding80°F,90°F,and100°F.......................10 Figure5:Projectedfuturechangesinthefrequencyofthesevenhottesthistoricaldays
andthesevenwarmesthistoricalnightsoftheyear........................................................11 Figure6:Projectedfuturechangesinthefrequencyofthesevenhistoricallywettestdays
peryearandthetotalnumberofdrydaysperyear.........................................................11 Figure7:Respondents’chiefclimate‐relatedconcernsforSanAntonio.....................................13 Figure8:SATomorrowSustainabilityPlanLeadershipagreement..............................................14 Figure9:Climatechangevulnerability......................................................................................................16 Figure10:TherelativevulnerabilityrankingofeachoftheKeyAreasofConcern...............17 Figure11:Percentofthepopulationovertheageof65years........................................................19 Figure12:Percentofthepopulationundertheageof5years........................................................20 Figure13:PercentofthepopulationlivingbelowtheFederalPovertyRate............................21 Figure14:SocialVulnerabilityIndexbyCensusTractwithinBexarCountyfor2010.........22 Figure15:UrbanHeatIslandEffect............................................................................................................22 Figure16:UrbanHeatIslandEffectforSanAntonio...........................................................................23 Figure17:Sidebysidecomparisonofrelativesocialvulnerabilityindexrankingsandthe
urbanheatislandeffectforBexarCounty...........................................................................24 Figure18:UrbanCanopyforSanAntonioandsurroundingareas................................................24 Figure19:TreeCanopyoverlaywithrelativesocialvulnerabilityindex....................................25 Figure20:100‐yearFloodZonesforSanAntonioandsurroundingareas................................28 Figure21:RelativeSocialVulnerabilityIndexoverlaidwith100‐yearfloodzones...............29 Figure22:PercentofthePopulationlivingwithin1mileofahealthyfoodoption...............32 Figure23:Annualnumberofpoorairqualitydaysduetoozone..................................................33 Figure24:WildfireriskforSanAntonioandsurroundingareas...................................................34 Figure25:ProposednewpipelinefromsouthernBexarCounty...................................................37 Figure26:MapofProposedVistaRidgePipeline.................................................................................38 Figure27:SAWS2012WaterManagementPlansuppliesfortheyears2033‐2041.............38 Figure28:DailyPerCapitaWaterUseingallonsperpersonperday..........................................41
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TableofTablesTable1:Examplestrategiesthatcouldbeusedtobuildclimateresilience...................................7 Table2:ObservedclimatetrendsandprojectionsforSanAntonio...................................................9 Table3:KeyAreasofConcernGeneratedbytheResilienceAdvisoryCommittee...................15 Table4:IncidenceofcasesofVectorBorneDiseasesper100,000residents............................27
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1.0ExecutiveSummary
Building climate resilienceandbecoming sustainable isaprocessandnotanoutcome. It takes time to diversify and grow the economy of the region so thateveryone in thecommunityhasaccess to the jobsandresources theyneedto livehealthyandproductivelives.Ittakestimetotransformtheenergyandtransportationsystems to enable them to meet the needs of residents and businesses whilemaintainingflexibilityinthefaceofextremeweatherevents.Ittakestimetoprotectthenatural,historic,andculturalresourcesthatmaketheCityofSanAntonioauniqueand attractive place to live. The City of San Antonio started this journey with acommitment to building a sustainable citywhile continuing to grow and increaseprosperityforitscurrentandfutureresidents.ThisclimatevulnerabilityassessmentispartoftheSATomorrowplanningprocessandanimportantpartofthisjourney.
For many decades, individual departments such as public works, emergencymanagement,CPSEnergy, andothers, havebeenworking to serve theCityof SanAntonio’s residents. Working closely with other organizations such as the SanAntonioWaterSystem(SAWS),theSanAntonioRiverAuthority(SARA),andBexarCounty (health department, flood control district, etc.), the City ensures that theregionanditsresidentshavetheresourcestheyneedtothriveandstaysafeduringextremeweatherevents.EffortsbytheCityandtheseorganizationshaveincluded:
SA2020,whichhelpssetthevisionforagrowingregion; SAWS’WaterManagementPlanthathelpsguidetheconservationandwater
supplydiversificationeffortsandensurewateravailabilityfortheregion; BexarCountyCommunityHealthImprovementPlanthatsetsavisionforthe
healthofthecommunity;and The Hazard Mitigation Plan that evaluates the potential risk of different
hazardsandidentifiesactionstoreducethoserisks.
The SA Tomorrow Plan is the latest step on the path towards sustainability andresilience. It is anambitiouseffort thatbuildsonall of theseprevious effortsandworkstounifythemunderasharedvision,setofgoals,andactionsforasustainablecommunity.ThisclimatevulnerabilityassessmentisonepieceofthisSATomorrowplanningeffort.
Thegoalofthisclimatepreparednessprocessistoshiftthefocusfromthepastandconsiderhowextremeweathereventsandchangingclimateconditionscouldaffectthecityinthefuture.TherecentlycompletedHazardMitigationPlan(2015)identifiesbothnaturalandhumaneventsthatcouldaffectthecity,buttheassessmentis based solely onhistorical events. As climate conditions change, those historicalevents are not necessarily adequate predictors of the future. Said another way,planningforthesepasteventsmaynotgofarenoughtopreparethecityfornewandemergingthreats.Changingclimateconditionsarerelevanttocityplanninginthattheywill affect theway the city plans for changes in temperatures (planning for
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cooling/heating, ensuring public safety, and protecting public health); changes inprecipitation(preparingfordroughts,planningformunicipalwateruseordesigninginfrastructure to reduce the impacts of flooding); and increases in other extremeweatherevents(enhancingemergencymanagementandpreparedness).
Oneexampleofthesepotentialvulnerabilitiescanbeseenbycomparingtherelativesocialvulnerabilityindex(SVI)withanoverviewoftheobservedurbanheatislandeffect. The SVI is calculated by census tract and combines 14 variables includingpersonsaged65andolder,personsaged17andyounger,singleparenthouseholdswith children under 18,minority status, and persons living in group quarters, toidentifyareasthataremoresensitiveandlikelylessabletopreparefororrespondtoextremeweatherevents.Theurbanheatislandmapindicatestheurbanareasthatareoftenmuchhotter,andstayhotterthroughoutthenight,thanruralareas.
Figure1:SidebysidecomparisonoftherelativesocialvulnerabilityindexrankingsandtheurbanheatislandeffectforBexarCounty.Comparisoncanbeusedtoidentifyareasofenhancedvulnerability toextremeheateventsbasedon increasedexposureandhighersensitivity(orlowerabilitytorespond)tothoseevents.
Thisreportdescribesaprocessthatbroughttogetherthebestavailablesciencewithamulti‐departmental,multi‐organizational teamofexperts fromacross thecity toidentifykeyconcernsandevaluate thepotentialvulnerabilityofassets, resources,andsegmentsofthecommunity.Afocusofthisassessmentwasonchangingclimateconditionsandextremeweatherevents.Bycombiningthebestavailablesciencewiththeknowledgeandexpertiseofthepeoplewhoworkontheseissues,itispossibletogainsomeinsightintohowthecommunitycouldbeaffectedbyfutureevents.Results of this work include: relative climate and weather related vulnerabilityrankings for Key Areas of Concern (Section 4.3), detailed descriptions of those
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rankings (Section 5); and a list of strategies that could be used to address thesevulnerabilities (Section 6). The table below provides examples of key resiliencestrategiesbeingreviewedaspartofthebroaderSATomorrowplanningprocess.
Table1:ExamplestrategiesfromtheSATomorrowSustainabilityPlanthatcouldbeusedtobuildclimateresilience.Listedalongwiththeweatherorclimateimpacttheyaredesigned to address and focus area from the SATomorrow SustainabilityPlan.AdditionalstrategiesareprovidedinSection6.
ImpactAddressed
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusArea
Flooding
Adoptalowimpactdevelopmentstandardrequiring100%ofonsitestormwatermanagementforallnewdevelopmentandsignificantretrofits.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Initiateaclimateeducationcampaignforbusinessesandpropertyowners,includingdetailsabouthowtomakebuiltinfrastructuremoreresilienttoexistingandprojectedchangesinclimate.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Evaluateandadoptordinancestocreatebufferzonesaroundfloodplains,riparianareas,andothernaturalpriorityareas
NaturalResources
Adoptconservationdevelopmentfriendlyordinancesthatminimizedevelopmentinnaturalgreenways,floodplains,nearwaterwaysinordertoprotectwatershedandallowformoregreenspace
NaturalResources
Establishanetworkof"blockcaptains"thatcanbeactivatedtogodoortodoortocheckonthehealthofhighriskneighborsduringorafteradisaster.
PublicHealth
ExtremeHeat
Revieweffectivenessofcoolingcentersandotherhighheatdaystrategiesandidentifyunderservedareasforincreasedexpansionofexistingstrategiesornewstrategiestomitigatetheeffectsofhighheatdays.
PublicHealth
Expandthenumberofpubliclyaccessibleparksandopenspaceareaswithinthecity. PublicHealth
Developa“HealthybyDesign”programforallnewaffordablehousingprojects.
PublicHealth
Adoptanurbanheatislandmitigationordinanceforallnewdevelopmentsandmajorrenovationprojects.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Drought
Updatewaterefficiencystandardsincitybuildingcodes.GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Adoptaprogramtophaselargecommercialbuildingsoffofpotablewateruseforlandscaping.
NaturalResources
Expandincentivesfornativeplants/low‐wateruselandscapingandotherresidentialwaterconservationstrategies
NaturalResources
Planningforthefutureisacriticalaspectofanysustainabilityplanningeffort.Itisnotenoughtolookatcurrentconditions.Wemustlooktothefutureinordertocontinuetobuildasafe,healthy,prosperous,andresilientcommunityforalltheresidentsofSanAntonio.
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2.0IntroductionTheCityofSanAntoniohasbeenengaginginaprocesstocoordinatethedevelopmentof their Comprehensive, Strategic Multimodal Transportation, and SustainabilityPlans.Knownas“SATomorrow,”theprocessbuildsuponpreviousplanningefforts,suchastheSA2020Plan,tooutlinekeygoalsforthenext25years,astheexpectedpopulationofthecountywillnearlydouble,addinganadditional1.1millionpeople1.ThisexpectedpopulationgrowthcreatesmanychallengesandopportunitiesforSanAntonio, and the collectiveplanning for these expected changesdemonstrates thecity’scommitmentto,“preservetheSanAntoniocultureandincreaselivabilitythroughensuringhousingandtransportationchoicesasourcitygrows1.”
Figure2:MapoftheCityofSanAntonio,majorwaterways,andsurroundingareas.
TheCityofSanAntoniowantstoensurethatallgoalsoutlinedunderthethreeplansconsidersustainabilityasitpreparesforbothcurrentandfutureconditions.Aspartof thesustainabilityplanningprocess,AdaptationInternationalandKimLundgrenAssociates,Inc.(KLA)ledaclimatechangevulnerabilityassessmenttosupporttheCity’scommitmenttobuildingresiliencetochangingclimateconditionsandexpectedincreasesinextremeweatherevents.To support this effort, the City convened aResilienceAdvisoryCommittee (RAC), adiverse committee of city, county, state, private sector, and non‐profit agencyrepresentatives, towork together and conduct the vulnerability assessment. Thisreportsummarizestheseeffortstodeterminewherethecity ismostvulnerableto
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currentandfutureextremeweathereventsandbegindiscussingstrategiesforhowthe city might reduce these vulnerabilities and build resilience. The report alsohighlightssomepromisingpracticesbeingusedacrossthecountrythatthecitycoulduse,adapt,orbuildontobebetterpreparedinthefuture.
3.0ClimateandtheCityofSanAntonioTheclimateischangingaroundtheglobeandthesechangesaffecthowcitiesmanagethemselves and prepare for the future. As part of the Sustainability Plan, ATMOSResearch completed an analysis of the past and projected future climate for SanAntonio2.Climateisrelevanttocityplanninginthatitimpactsthewayinwhichcitiesplan forchanges in temperatures (planning for cooling/heating, ensuringpublicsafety, and protecting public health); changes in precipitation (preparing fordroughts,planningformunicipalwateruseordesigninginfrastructuretolimittheimpactsofflooding);andincreasesinotherextremeweatherevents(enhancingemergencymanagementandpreparedness).TheanalysisbyATMOSResearchshowsthefollowingobservedandprojectedclimatechangesforSanAntonio(Table2).
Table 2: Observed climate trends and projections for San Antonio and the South CentralRegion2.
ClimateChanges ObservedChanges FutureProjections
TemperatureAverages
Warmed+0.5°F(summer)to+0.7°F(winter)perdecadefrom1960‐2014(Figure3).
“Thenumberofhotdaysandwarmnightsoccurringonaverageeachyearwillcontinuetoincrease,withgreaterincreasesunderahigherascomparedtoalowerfutureemissionsscenario.”(page17)
TemperatureExtremes
Increasesinthenumberofdaysover80°F,90°F,and100°Ffrom1960‐2014(Figure4).
Increasesinfrequencyofthehistoricallyhottestdaysandwarmestnightsbytheendofthecentury(Figure5).
PrecipitationAverages
Increasesinthe average number ofdrydaysperyear,averagerainfallintensity(theaverageamountofrainfallingonanygivenwetdayduringtheyear),andtheamountofrainfallinthewettest5daysoftheyear.
“Average winter andspringprecipitationwilldecreasetowardstheendofthecentury,accompaniedbyincreasedriskofdryconditionsinspringandlongerperiodsofconsecutivedrydays.”(page17)(Figure6)
PrecipitationExtremes
Increasedvariabilityinprecipitationstartinginthe1980s.
“The frequency of heavyprecipitationand/oraverageprecipitationintensitymayincreaseacrosssomepartsofTexas,althoughprojectedincreasesarelikelytobesmall.”(page17)
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Figure3:Observedyear‐to‐yearvalues(thinlines)andlong‐termtrends(thicklines)inwinterandsummeraveragetemperaturebyseasonattheSanAntonioInternationalAirportweatherstation from1960 to2014.They‐axisshowsdegrees inFahrenheitwhere numbers above zero are warming/positive trends while negative numbersbelowzeroarecooling/negative trends.Thex‐axisshows time from1961‐2014.Alltrendsaresignificant2.
Figure4:Observedyear‐to‐yearvalues(thinlines)andlong‐termtrends(thicklines)inthenumberofdaysperyearwithmaximumtemperaturesexceeding80°F,90°F,and100°FattheSanAntonioInternationalAirportweatherstationfrom1960‐2014.They‐axisshowsthenumberofdaysayearwhilethex‐axisshowstimefrom1960‐2014.Alltrendsaresignificant2.
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HotDays WarmNights
Figure5:Projectedfuturechangesinthefrequencyofthesevenhottesthistoricaldays(left)andthesevenwarmesthistoricalnights(right)oftheyearfortheperiod2070‐2099 relative to 1971‐2000. The lighter yellow and orange colors correspond tosmallerannualincreaseswhilethedarkerredcolorsarelargerincreases.Eachpanelof this figure compares projections of what would be expected under a lowergreenhousegasemissionsscenarioandahigheremissionsscenario3.
WetDays DryDays
Figure6:Projected futurechanges in the frequencyof thesevenhistoricallywettestdaysperyear(left)andthetotalnumberofdrydaysperyear(right) fortheperiod2070‐2099relativeto1971‐2000.Forthewetdays,thedarkerbluecolorrepresentsagreater change in the number of wet days. For the dry days the darker brownrepresentsagreaterchangeinthenumberofconsecutivedrydays.Eachpanelofthisfigurecomparesprojectionsofwhatwouldbeexpectedunderalowergreenhousegasemissionsscenarioandahigheremissionsscenario3.
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4.0CollaborativeProjectProcesswiththeResilienceAdvisoryCommittee
The City of San Antonio formed a Resilience Advisory Committee (RAC) to gaininsights intohowchanging climate conditionsandextremeweathereventswouldaffectvariouskeyfacetsoftheCity’soperationsandassets,aswellasthecommunityat‐large.ForafulllistoftheResilienceAdvisoryCommitteeMembersseeAppendix2.Thecommitteeparticipated ina four‐stepprocess.First, theyparticipated inanintroductory web‐based meeting describing the sustainability planning andvulnerability assessment process. Second, committeemembers received an onlinesurveythroughtheSATomorrow“MindMixer”dashboardasawaytosolicitinitialthoughts about key areas of concern for San Antonio. Third, the project teamconductedindividualphonecallstoRACmemberstogenerateandexpandthelistofof concerns aswell as to engage in discussions about potential extremeweather‐related thresholds. These discussions provided valuable information about thespecific temperature and precipitation‐related thresholds to be considered in theassessment,aswellasanyfutureclimatework.An“extremeweatherevent”is:
“[An] event that is rare within its statistical reference distribution at aparticularplace.Definitionsof“rare”vary,butanextremeweathereventwouldnormallybeasrareasorrarerthanthe10thor90thpercentile.Bydefinition,thecharacteristicsofwhatiscalledextremeweathermayvaryfromplacetoplace[emphasisadded]4.”
Because of the regional differences for extremeweather events, integrating localknowledgeaboutclimateandweatherrelatedimpactsandthresholdsprovidedtheopportunitytohoneinontheweather‐relatedeventsthataremostimportanttoSanAntonio.Finally, theRACparticipated inaone‐dayworkshopon June25,2015 tocollaborativelyconductthevulnerabilityassessment.
4.1OnlinesurveytodevelopinitiallistofKeyAreasofConcernTheconsultantteamsurveyedlocalsubjectmatterexpertsfromavarietyofsectors(e.g.planning,publichealth,emergencymanagement,andsustainability)regardinghowweatheraffects theirwork.Amajorityof those interviewed felt thatextremeweatherisaconcern.Commentsfromrespondentsincluded:
“Extremeweatherconditionscanhaveadverseaffectsonthetransportationsystem—recentheavyrainscausedsignificantdamagetotheroadways.”
“Droughtwilldepletewatersuppliesandcreateproblemswithpotablewaterdistributionsystems.”
When askedwhat the chief climate‐related concernswere for the city, responsesalignedwellwith issues alreadybeingaddressed through someof theCity of SanAntonioplanningdocuments(Figure7).
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Figure7:Respondents’chiefclimate‐relatedconcernsforSanAntoniofromthesurveyconducted June8,2015.Sizeof thepiewedgeshows thepercentageofrespondentsconcernedabouteachextremeweathereventlisted.Droughts,floods,andheatwaveswerethetopthreeconcernsfortherespondents.
Manyrespondentsstatedthattheirdepartmentsororganizationsarealreadytakingactiontoaddressextremeweatherandclimate‐relatedimpacts.Forexample,SAWSalreadyhasawatermanagementplanandBexarCountyalreadyhasanextremeheatresponse plan. Respondents also identified various obstacles to fully addressingclimatechange.Theseobstaclesincluded:1)limitedtimeandbudget;2)competingpriorities;and3)lackofinformationaboutwhattodoorhowtomoveforward.Thisvulnerabilityassessmentprocesscanbeusedtoaddressbothitems2and3above.Itcan help prioritize the issues of concern and increase the sharing of informationbetween departments and organizations so that they can better coordinate theirefforts to prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme weather events.Developingasharedunderstandingandlistofconcernswon’tnecessarilysolvethebudgetrelatedissues,butitcouldbeusedtoprioritizespendingonthemostcriticalissuesthatfacetheCityandtheregion.Further,inasurveyofCityLeadershipconductedaspartofthelargersustainabilityplanning process, themajority (60%) of respondents agreed that the City shouldconsiderclimatechangeandresilienceinthedevelopmentofcitypolices(Figure8).
Drought27%
Flood26%
Heat Wave26%
Fire11%
Hail5%
Wind5%
Key Extreme Weather and Climate Concerns in San Antonio
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Figure 8: SA Tomorrow Sustainability Plan Leadership agreement on consideringclimatechangeandincludingresilience inthedevelopmentofmunicipalpoliciesandprojects.
4.2CollaborativeWorkshopOnJune25,2015,attheSanAntonioFoodBank,theResilienceAdvisoryCommitteememberscametogethertoconductthevulnerabilityassessment.Thegoalsfortheday were to 1) refine a list of Key Areas of Concern; and 2) conduct a climatevulnerabilityassessmentfortheseitems.Thegroupbeganbydiscussinghowclimateandextremeweathereventsimpacttheirwork and their concerns about how SanAntonio is affected by these events bothcurrentlyandinthefuture.TheprojectteamgaveapresentationoftheresultsoftheClimateAnalysisconductedbyDr.KatharineHayhoespecifictoSanAntonio(resultssummarizedinSection3.0:ClimateandtheCityofSanAntonio).Followingtheclimatedatapresentation,theprojectteamprovidedadetailedreviewofexistingconditionsrelevanttoKeyAreasofConcerngeneratedfromthesurveyresults.ThecommitteegeneratedarefinedlistofKeyAreasofConcern(Table3)groupedunderthreecategories:increasingtemperatures,water(floodinganddrought),andother extreme weather events. These are the final areas of concern, which wereevaluated for the vulnerability assessment. These categories parallel the top fourhazardsidentifiedinthe2015HazardMitigationPlan.
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Table3:KeyAreasofConcernGeneratedbytheResilienceAdvisoryCommittee
Temperature Water ExtremeWeatherEvents
PoorAirQuality Impactstopublichealthdue
toincreasesinairpollutants Potentialfornon‐attainment
duetoincreasesingroundlevelozonewithhighertemperatures
Structures in the 100‐yearfloodplain• Residences• Multi‐family/commercial• Critical/public
infrastructureandassets
Wildfires–urban/wildlandinterfaceincludingimpactstopublichealthandinfrastructure
Extremeheateventsandtheirimpactsonthehealthofvulnerablepopulations(elderly,children,poor,chronicallyill,homeless&homebound,outdoorworkers,pregnant)
Critical transportationinfrastructure(flooding)
Extremeheateffectsonnativespeciesandthetreecanopy
Lowwater crossings ‐ highcallrescuesites(flooding)
Wastewater treatment andsewageoverflow(flooding)
Vector borne disease(droughtandflooding)
Geographic distribution ofwatersupply(drought)
Meeting municipal peakwaterdemand(drought)
Cooling water availability forpowerplants(drought)
Municipal Water quality(drought)
Local food security (drought)
TherearemanyotherwaysthatextremeweathereventscanaffecttheCityofSanAntonio.Thoseothereventsaredescribed indetail in the2015HazardMitigationPlan.Theseothereventsinclude(statisticsfromHMP2015):
Tornadoes(65eventsrecordedinBexarCountyfrom1950‐2014rangingfromgaleforcewindstoF4tornadoes);
Extremewinds (impactsdeemed tobeminor injuriesand limited structuraldamagetomobilehomesandwoodbuildings);and
Hail(common–208eventsinSanAntoniobetween1955and2014causinganestimatedalmost$170millionindamages(2014Dollars))5.
Whiletheseotherextremeweathereventsarenotinsignificantforthecity,theroleof this assessment is to identify the highest priority events affected by changing
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climate conditions. It is unclear how changing climate conditions could affecttornadoes and hail events and these events were not deemed critical forconsiderationbytheResilienceAdvisoryCommittee.
Additionally, there are other ways that changing climate conditions and extremeweathercanaffectthecity.Forexample:extremeheateventshavethepotentialtostresstheenergygridbyrequiringmoreenergyforcoolinghomesandbusinesses;drought could affect surrounding crop lands and the agricultural yields of farmsaroundSanAntonio;andfloodingmaydestroyhabitatinripariancorridors.Theseissues could be explored in more detail in future studies. Based on the expertjudgmentoftheResilienceAdvisoryCommittee,theseadditionalpotential impactsdidnotrisetothetopaskeyconcernsforSanAntonioatthistime.
4.3VulnerabilityAssessmentProcess
Thevulnerabilityofanasset,resource,orsegmentofthecommunitydependsonitsexposure toclimateandweather, sensitivity to thatexposure,andability toadapt(Figure9).TheResilienceAdvisoryCommitteemembersengagedinaguidedexerciseto complete the vulnerability assessment for each area of concern during theworkshop.Theuseofsensitivity(howsusceptiblethesystemorassetistochangingclimateconditions)andadaptivecapacity(abilityofasystemorassettorespondtochanging climate conditions) is an internationally recognizedmeans for assessingclimatechangerelatedvulnerabilities6.Tosee theprocessof thescoring fromtheguidedactivity,gotoAppendix3.
Figure9:Climatechangevulnerabilityofasystem,asset,orresourcedependsontheclimateexposure,sensitivity,andadaptivecapacityofthatsystem.
The relative vulnerability rankings identify areas that will need immediate attention and those that can simply be monitored for future changes. Based on the results of the vulnerability assessment, there are clearly three groups of concerns: those with high vulnerability (items in red), those with medium or medium high vulnerability (items in yellow and orange), and those with low vulnerability (items in green). Based on this qualitative assessment, the groups of items that rise to the top are the ones that will require immediate and urgent attention, while those in the last group (such as impacts on cooling water available for power plants) are not a pressing need for the city at this time. See Figure 10 for the results of the assessment.
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RelativeVulnerabilityAssessmentRanking
S0 S1 S2 S3 S4
AC0 • Vectorbornediseases
AC1
• Critical/publicinfrastructureandassetsinthe100‐yearfloodplain(communications,power,etc.)
• Criticaltransportationinfrastructure
• Lowwatercrossingshighcallrescuesites
• Extremeheatandimpactstovulnerablepopulations
AC2
• Singlefamilyresidencesin100‐yearfloodplain
• Non‐attainmentduetoincreasedozone
• Impactstomultifamilyhousinginthe100‐yearfloodplain
• Localfoodsecurity
AC3
• Municipalwaterqualityduringdroughts
• Extremeheatimpactsonnativespecies
• Geographicdistributionofthewatersupply
• Wildfires
AC4
• Coolingwateravailableforpowerplants
• Wastewatertreatmentandsewageoverflow
• Meetingmunicipalwaterpeakdemand
Figure10:TherelativevulnerabilityrankingofeachoftheKeyAreasofConcernbasedontheirsensitivityandadaptivecapacityrankings.Colorsshowvulnerabilityrankingsfor the different items: red = high vulnerability, dark orange = medium‐highvulnerability,light‐orange=mediumvulnerability,yellow=medium‐lowvulnerability,andgreen Items= lowvulnerability. Sensitivityrankingvary fromS0=willnotbeaffectedtoS4=greatlyaffectedbytheexposure.AdaptiveCapacityrankingsvaryfromAC0=noabilitytoadapttotheimpacttoAC4=abletoaccommodateoradjusttotheimpactsinabeneficialway.
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5.0ResultsoftheVulnerabilityAssessment
5.1HighVulnerabilityAreasofConcern
5.1.1ExtremeHeatImpactstoVulnerablePopulationsExtreme heat can impact the public’s health,particularlyforthosewhoaremostvulnerable.TheseimpactsarenotunfamiliartotheCityofSanAntonio,whichhasa longhistoryofdealingwithprolonged
extremeheat.Extremeheatisidentifiedasakeyhazardinthe2015HazardMitigationPlanandtheMetropolitanHealthDistrictdevelopedaHeatEmergencyResponsePlanin20157.Thepublichealtheffectsofexposuretoextremeheatarewellunderstood:
• Increasesinheat‐relatedmorbidity(cramps,rash,exhaustion,fainting,stroke)• Increasesinheat‐relatedmortality(cardiovasculardisease,renalfailure,respiratorydeaths,strokes)8,9
These conditions are more pronounced among vulnerable populations, whichinclude the elderly (over age 65), children, low income, chronically ill, pregnant,disabled,sociallyisolated(homeless,homebound),andoutdoorworkers9.AccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan,“Duetoitsgeography,anditswarm,muggysemitropicalclimatewithhotsummers,theCityofSanAntoniocanexpectanextremeheateventeachsummer(HMP,Section6page3)5.”
TheHazardMitigationPlandoesnottellthewholestorywhenitcomestochangingclimate conditions. As with many of the concerns identified in this vulnerabilityassessment, analysis of historical occurrences will not accurately guide futureprojectionsof theseeventsas theSanAntonioclimatechanges.Withobservationsthat the seasonal average temperatures in the summer have increased 0.5°F perdecadefrom1960‐2014,andthatthereisincreasedfrequencyofdaysover80°F,90°Fand100°Ffrom1960‐2014,thereisreasontobeconcerned.
“In the summer of 1998, theNationalWeather Service declared numerouscommunitiesinNorthandSouthTexastobeunderanextremeheatadvisory.ThroughoutTexas,highhumiditycoupledwithtemperaturesinthehigh90'sandabovecausedsignificantelevationsintheheatindices.Inadditiontotheextremely hot and sultry afternoons, the ambient overnight temperaturesrarely dropped below 80°F during the summer of 1998. These conditionsproducedcriticalheatwavesandpushedtheheatindexintotheExtremeHotClassificationwhichentailsaheatindexof130°Forgreater.AccordingtotheAssociatedPress,124Texansdiedduringthisheatwaveofwhich3werefromBexarCounty.HistoryhasshownthattheseconditionsarecommonforSouthCentralTexas(HeatandEmergencyResponsePlan,2015,Page1)7.”
OnerecentextremeheateventcitedintheHazardMitigationPlanoccurredin2009and resulted in two confirmed fatalities (HMP, Section 6 page 6)5. Projections ofincreasesinthehistoricallyhottestdaysandwarmestnightsbytheendofthecenturyforthecityarelikelytoexacerbatealreadychallengingcircumstances.Therearehigh
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numbers of people living in the city that may be vulnerable to this increasedfrequencyofextremeheatevents.BexarCountyhasanagingpopulationwithresidentsovertheageof65accountingfor11.3%,oratotalof209,713residents10,andprojectedtoreach14%ofthetotalpopulationby202011.Thisissignificantbecauseoftenpeopleofadvancedagecanbeindeclininghealth,mayliveonafixedincome,and/ormaybeisolatedfromtherestoftheircommunityorhomebound.Becauseofthis,theyareatanincreasedriskfromextremeheatevents.
Figure11:PercentofthepopulationoftheCityofSanAntonioovertheageof65yearsbycensustract.Peopleover65‐yearsoldaremoresensitivetoextremeheatevents.
“AprolongedheatwavefromtheendofJunethroughearlyJuly[2009]broughtrecord temperaturesandheatadvisories toSouthCentralTexas.82yearoldtwinsdied in theirhome inSanAntonio.The causeofdeathwasheatstrokeaccordingtothemedicalexaminer.Thetwinsdidnotwanttouseafanorairconditioningstatingthattheywereonafixedincomeandweretryingtosavemoney.Hightemperatureswereatornear100degreesinSanAntoniothatdayandpreviousdaysaswell(HMP,Section6page6)5.”
Children are considered vulnerable to extreme heat events as well. 133,622residents,or7.2%ofthepopulation,in2014werechildren5yearsandyounger11.Childrenspendmoretimeoutdoorsthanadults,oftenbeingactive,andtheirbody’ssurfaceareamakesupagreaterproportionoftheiroverallweightascomparedtoanadultmakingthemmorevulnerabletoheatexposure.
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Figure12:PercentofthepopulationofSanAntonioundertheageof5yearsbycensustract.Childrenaremoresensitivetoextremeheatevents.
Povertyisanotherindicatorofincreasedvulnerabilityasitrelatestoalackofoverallresourcestoadapttoachangingclimateordealwithextremeevents.Thepovertyrate for the citywas9% in2000and19% in2010 (3%higher than in the entiremetropolitanstatisticalarea),implyingagrowingchallengeforthecity(Chapter2,pages3‐6)10.Incomeisunevenlydistributedacrossthecitywithsomepartsofthecityexperiencingextremepoverty(e.g.EastsideandSoutheast/Southwest)asshownin Figure 13. Further, the number and availability of health access points withincertain portions of San Antonio is a challenge. During emergencies, access tohealthcare,especiallyforthepoor,canbediminished(page224)11.
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Figure13:PercentofthepopulationofSanAntoniolivingbelowtheFederalPovertyRatebycensustract.Low‐incomesegmentsofthepopulationhavefewerresourcestoprepareforandrespondtoextremeheatevents.
Thepresenceofchronicdiseasescanincreasetheriskfromextremeheat.Thecityhasbeengrapplingwithahighobesityrateamongitsresidentsandaccordingtothe2013BexarCountyCommunityHealthAssessment report, “ahigherproportionofBexarCountyadults(68%)thanadultsinTexas (65%)wereoverweightorobese in2012(page58)12.”Theratesofdiabetesin2013forBexarCountyare11.4%,downfrom14%in2010andsimilartotherateinthestateofTexas12.In2012,6%ofadultsin Bexar County reported having heart disease and “…chronic heart diseaseaccountedforthelargestproportionofdeathsamongBexarCountyadultsage75andolder in 2011 (page 148)12”. These poor health conditions make residents withchronicdiseasemorevulnerabletoextremeheatevents9.
Theconvergenceofthesesocial,economic,andhealthfactorsmaycreateenhancedvulnerability to changes in climate, and specifically to extreme heat events. Tounderstand the combined effect of these factors, a map of the relative “socialvulnerabilityindex”wascreatedusingtheAgencyforToxicSubstancesandDiseaseRegistry’s Social Vulnerability Index, or SVI9. Figure 14 shows the SVI for each ofBexar County’s census tracts for 2010. The SVI combines 14 variables includingpersonsaged65andolder,personsaged17andyounger,singleparenthouseholdswith children under 18, minority status, and persons living in group quarters.Dividing thedata into fivegroups, thedarker redportionsdepict theareasof thecountyatthehighestsocialvulnerability,whilethedarkestblueportionsindicatetheleastvulnerableportionsofthecounty.ThisinformationcouldbeusedtoguidetheCityasitlookstomakedecisionsaboutnextstepsandhelptargeteffortsinthemorevulnerableareasofthecitythatarelessabletoadapttochangingclimateconditions.
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Figure14:SocialVulnerabilityIndexbyCensusTractwithinBexarCountyfor2010.
Finally,asignificantcontributiontothevulnerabilityoftheresidentsofthecityisduetothe“UrbanHeatIslandEffect”(Figure15)whereintemperaturesinurbanareasareoftenmuchhotter,andstayhotterthroughoutthenight,thanruralareas.
“Cities can be up to 10°F warmer than surrounding rural areas and canmaintainwarmertemperaturesthroughoutthenight.Concreteandasphaltincitiesabsorbandholdheat.Tallbuildingsreducepotentiallycoolingairflows.Urbanenvironmentsmay lack treesandothervegetation thatprovideshadeand increase cooling through evaporation. As a result, city‐dwellers mayexperiencelongerandmoresevereperiodsofextremeheatcomparedtoruralorsuburbandwellers(page5)9.”
Figure15:UrbanHeatIslandEffect13.
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Althoughroughlyequivalenttothenationalaverage,theSanAntonio’s2012rateof17.6acresofopenspaceper1,000residentsisareductionfromthe2010of20.7acresper1,000residents(Chapter7,pages4‐7)11.Thisisimportantbecausedecreasesinopen space correlate with increases in the urban heat island effect (i.e. openspace/tree cover can reduce the urban heat island effect). Heat islands raise airconditioningdemand, airpollution levels (particularly smog), andgreenhousegasemissionsassociatedwiththeenergyproductionrequiredtomeetthatdemand.Theyalsoincreasetheincidenceofheat‐relatedillnessandmortality14.Theanalysisoftheurbanheatislandeffectforthecityconfirmsthatthemoredenselydevelopedareasare“hotter”whiletheareasofcroporgrasslandswithforestcoverarecooler(Figure16).
Figure16:UrbanHeatIslandEffectfortheCityofSanAntonio.
LookingattherelativeSVIrankingsalongsidetheUrbanHeatIslandmapcanbeagoodwaytoidentifyareasofenhancedvulnerabilitytoextremeheateventsbasedonincreasedexposureandhighersensitivity(orlowerabilitytorespond)tothoseevents.
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Figure17:SidebysidecomparisonoftherelativesocialvulnerabilityindexrankingsandtheurbanheatislandeffectforBexarCounty.Comparisoncanbeusedtoidentifyareasofenhancedvulnerabilitytoextremeheateventsbasedonincreasedexposureandhighersensitivity(orlowerabilitytorespond)tothoseevents.
As mentioned, tree cover and green space reduce the urban heat island effect.According to the American Forests Report, San Antonio has a 38% overall treecanopy15,whiletheprojectteam’sanalysisof2014datafoundtreecanopycoverofover 34% for Bexar County (excluding the City of San Antonio) and 32% for SanAntonio(Figure18).
Figure18:UrbanCanopyforSanAntonioandsurroundingareas.
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Importantly,between2001‐2006,SanAntoniolost1,800acres(3.4%)oftreecanopyand7,600acres(6.8%)ofopenspace/grasslandswhilegaining7,400acres(5.8%)ofadditional urban area. Themost dramatic tree canopy loss trend occurred in theEdwardsAquiferRechargeandTransitionZone.3,200acres(6.0%)oftreecanopyand4,400acres(10.7%)ofopenspaceandgrasslandswereremovedwhilealmost6,000acres(20.2%)ofurbanareawereadded15.Theinherentcoolingaffectoftreesisevidentinthesatellitedatausedtocreatetheurbanheatislandmaps(Figure 16).
Overlaying the urban tree canopy with the relative social vulnerability index isanotherwaytoidentifytargetlocationsforfuturetreeplantingthatcanbeusedtocoolareaswherethepopulationsmaybemoresusceptibletoextremeheatevents.
Figure19:TreeCanopyandrelativesocialvulnerabilityindexforBexarCounty.
Socialcohesionofacommunitycanhaveasignificantimpactonhowsensitivethatcommunity is to a climate orweather event and the ability of that portion of thecommunity to come together and respond to the climate and weather relatedchallenges16.Thiscanbeparticularlyimportantforlow‐incomecommunities,thoughincome itself is not the only predictor of social cohesion17. A recent study on theimpactsofSuperStormSandyfoundthat“Communitieswhereresidentshadstrongerandmoreactivesocialtieswerebetterabletoutilizethesesocialnetworkstoadapt,respond, and recover from Sandy 18 .” These connections can come throughneighborhood involvement and are frequently tied to community and faith basedorganizationsintheneighborhoods.Thus,asdescribedinSection4.3itisnotonlytheclimaterelatedexposure,butalsothesensitivityandadaptivecapacityoftheaffectedcommunitythatdeterminesthevulnerability.
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Basedonallthedatapresented,theRACdeterminedthatextremeheat impactstohuman health were a high vulnerability and in need of additional attention. Forexample, theSanAntonioMetroHealthDistrict’sHeatEmergencyResponsePlan iswelldeveloped,andadequatelypreparesthecitytorespondduringthesetimesofneed.However, therewasrecognitionthattheseeventswillcontinuetostresstheexisting emergency response systems (police, fire, emergency) and requireexpandingorenhancededucationalandoutreachprograms(someofthesesystemsarealreadyinplace)onthepartoftheSanAntonioMetroHealthDistrictandpartneragenciestoensurethatresidentsreceiveamplenotificationandsupporttodealwiththemwhentheyarise.
5.1.2VectorBorneDiseasesandImpactstoPublicHealthVectorbornediseasesareoften citedasanemergingor imminent climate‐relatedhealth effect. Vector borne diseases typically influenced by changing climateconditionsaremosquito‐related(e.g.,WestNile)andtick‐related(Lymedisease),asthoseare thepredominantvectors,ororganisms,capableof transmittingdiseasesacrossspecies19.AccordingtotheSanAntonioMetroHealthDistrict,thevectorbornediseasesofconcerntransmittedbymosquitosareWestNile,St.LouisandEasternEncephalitis, Chikungunya and of those transmitted by ticks is Lyme Disease. Inaddition to climate effects, because of increased travel to and from the area, andincreases in the supplyof host animals (e.g. birds andnon‐humanmammals), thepotentialforthespreadofthesediseasesisheightened.The key climate concerns affecting the spread of these diseases are the projectedincreasingwintertemperatures,which,accordingtopasttrends,wouldcontinuetoincrease0.7°Fperdecadeduringthewinter.Thesechangeswillresultindiminisheddie‐offofvectorsduringthecoldwintermonths,therebyincreasingoverallnumbersofmosquitosandticks.Further,alreadyhighlevelsoffloodingwithinthecitycouldincrease in intensity, expanding thenumberof vectorhabitats andbreeding sites,suchasstandingwaterfromheavyrainorflooding19.AccordingtotheWorldHealthOrganization,“WestNileFeverhasresurgedinEuropesubsequenttoheavyrainsandflooding,withoutbreaksinRomaniain1996‐97,intheCzechRepublicin1997andItalyin199819.”From2002‐2013therewereatotalof4,253casesinTexaswitharecordhighnumberof1,868casesreportedin201220.ThereweretwohumancasesofWestNileFeverrecordedinBexarCountyin201420.Itisfrequentlyassumedthatmosquito‐relatedillnessesincreaseonlyduringflooding(morewater=moremosquitos),howeverdroughtconditionscanactuallyincreasevector‐borne illnesses.Whennaturalwater sourcesdryup, two species critical tocarryingoutthetransmissionofthesevectorborneillness—birdsandmosquitos—concentrate in more urban areas where humans provide water and food duringdrought.Asthesedroughtconditionsoccur,birdsmayflocktomoreurbanareasduetothefactthathumansstoremorewaterandfoodscrapsandwastecanbeafoodsource forbirds.Becauseof this, there is increased interactionbetweenbirdsandmosquitoswhichbreedinthesewaterstorageareas.Itisthisincreasedinteractionthat enhances the ability for vector‐borne diseases to thrive21 . In sum, it is the
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weather extremes (both toomuchandnot enoughwater) that allow forpotentialincreasesinvector‐bornediseases.Table4:IncidenceofcasesofVectorBorneDiseasesper100,000residentsofSanAntonio22.
Condition 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Chagas,chronicindeterminate 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.110 0.108
Chagas,chronicsymptomatic 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.055 0.000
Chikungunyanon‐neuroinvasivedisease* 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.379
Dengue** 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.331 0.000
Encephalitis,WestNile 0.000 0.000 0.953 0.000 0.216
Malaria* 0.058 0.171 0.056 0.000 0.054
WestNileFever 0.000 0.000 0.672 0.000 0.108
LymeDisease 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 Although the prevalence of these diseases is relatively low, thiswas rated a highvulnerability forSanAntoniobecauseof the limitedstaffingandfundingcurrentlyavailabletoconductsurveillanceeffortsandrespondtoorcombattheseillnessesinthefaceofafuturechangingclimate.
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5.2Medium‐HighVulnerabilities
5.2.1Criticalinfrastructureinthe100‐yearfloodplainManyoftheKeyAreasofConcernrelatetoflooding.AccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan:
“Texas isprone toextremelyheavyrainsand floodingwithhalfof theworldrecordrainfallrates (48hoursor less).CentralTexas,knownasFlashFloodAlley, is particularly vulnerable because storms tend to stall out along theBalcones escarpment.While theCityofSanAntonio is susceptible toawiderangeofnaturalandhuman‐causedhazards,includingflooding,tornadoesandwildfires, San Antonio is considered one of themost flash‐flood proneregionsinNorthAmerica(HMP,Section1page2)5.”
The city regularly dealswith and focuses onbeingprepared for extreme floodingevents.Withincreasesinextremewetperiodsprojectedforthecitybytheendofthecentury, flooding isexpected to increase.“Basedonrecordedhistoricaloccurrencesandextent,floodingishighlylikely,meaninganeventwilloccurwithinthenextyear(HMP,Section7page13)5.”
Figure20:100‐yearFloodZonesforSanAntonioandsurroundingareas.
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Atahighlevel,Figure20showsthepotentialfloodingareasforthecitywherethehigh‐risk zones are A and AE (shown in the two blue colors) 23 , which cover asignificantportionofthecity.
Thesefloodingeventscanbedevastatingtothecityintermsoflossoflife,destructionof property, disruption of the economy, and overall quality of life impacts. In SanAntonio’srecorded129floodeventsovertheyears1993‐2014,therewere16deaths,507reportedinjuries,propertydamagetotalingalmost$14.7millionand$228,662of crop damage (2014 Dollars). In the flooding event in May 2013 affected 350residences,15ofwhichweredestroyedand27sufferedmajordamages.Therewerealso200citizenrescuesand3casualtiesduringthatevent5.
“AccordingtotheNWS[NationalWeatherService],theCityofSanAntonioandBexarCountyareahold thehighestnumberof fatalities resulting from flashfloodinginTexas,withatleast26fatalitiesattributedtoflooding/flashfloodingsince 1996. Additionally, more than 852 injuries have been attributed tofloodinginthesametimeperiod(HMP,section7page17)5.”
Floods also increase exposure to contaminated water requiring an emergencyresponsetodecreaseexposureorcontactwithcontaminatedwaterandcreatingthepotentialneedforwidespreadimmunization.ThefloodeventsinMay2013requiredthisresponse5.
Combiningcriticalsocio‐economic factors indicativeof increasedvulnerability, therelativesocialvulnerabilityindexwasagainappliedtotheissueoffloodingforthecensus tracts of Bexar County (Figure 21). The red census tracks indicate higherrelativevulnerabilityandredtractsthatoverlaywithfloodzonescouldbeusedasawaytofocuseffortstoreducevulnerabilityandbuildresilience.
Figure21:RelativeSocialVulnerabilityIndexusing2010dataforallcensustractsinBexarCountyoverlaidwiththeFEMA100‐yearfloodzones.
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CriticalinfrastructureconcernsforfloodingrelatetotheabilityoftheCitytoprovideregularpower,ensurethatcommunicationssystemsarenotaffected,keepthewatersupplyfrombeingcontaminated,protecthealthandemergencyservices,andensurethattransportationsystemsarestillfunctioning.AccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan,thereare197criticalfacilitieslocatedwithinthefloodplain(Section7page16)5.Thoughthesefacilitiesareverybroadlydefinedandthe City could work to better define the specific “critical infrastructure” that needs to be studied, where those facilities are, and then require specific building codes/regulations of those facilities. Further, the City is making strides through its efforts to reduce repetitive losses as part of the National Flood Insurance Program. According to the Hazard Mitigation Plan, the City is preparing materials to apply to join the Community Rating System (CRS):
“…includingdocumentingtasksandprojectstopreventandreducefloodlosses.These includemeasures such as updating codes as a preventativemeasure,acquisitionof flood‐pronestructures,and implementationofotherstructuralfloodcontrolprojects.Thecityhasacquiredover300flood‐proneorrepetitiveflood loss properties in previous years and has plans to acquire additionalstructuresthathavepreviouslyexperiencedoneormorefloods,inanefforttoprotectopen spaceadjacent to floodplains.Additionally, theyhave identifiedandincludedover85floodmitigationprojectsinthecurrenthazardmitigationplanunderway(HMP,Section7Page26)5.”
5.2.2CriticalTransportationInfrastructureConcernswerealsoraisedbytheResilienceAdvisoryCommitteewithrespecttotheimpactsoffloodingontransportationinfrastructure,whichincludesdamageintheformofwashedout roads,water infiltration into roads (damaging thepavement),sedimentbuildupatbridges(degradingthestabilityofthestructuresovertime),andimproperly maintained stormwater systems. These impacts could result in roadclosures,limitmobility,andaffectemergencyresponseefforts.Mostmajorroadwayscanwithstand large‐scale floodingbut smaller roads canbe significantlydamagedcausinghighcleanupcosts24.TheHazardMitigationPlanidentifiesanumberofspecificlocationsthathavebeenaffectedbypastfloodingevents.
“TheSanAntonioRiveratLoop410hadfloodwatersreach34.21feetinMay2013”(Section7Page71)5.”“ThunderstormsproducedheavyrainthatcausedflashfloodinginandaroundSanAntonioandBexarCounty.TherewasrecordrainfallintheSanAntonioareawiththeSanAntonioInternationalAirportrecording9.87inchesofrain(2ndhighest24‐hourtotalrecord)…Mostoftherainfellinsixhourswithfourinchesinonehourbetween6:00and7:00am.AUSGSstreamandraingaugeonOlmosCreekandDresdenDrivereported2.58inchesin15minbetween6:15and6:30am…A24hr totalat thisgaugewas17 inchesofrain.This led tomassive flooding in theOlmos Basin/Creek just inside Loop 410 near the Quarry(Section7Pages11‐12)5.”
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“MostofthefloodingacrossthecitywasinnorthcentralandnorthwestSanAntonioalongandjustinsideLoop410…ThereweremanyroadsclosedincludingHwy281atOlmosCreekwhichremainedclosedforseveraldays.At10:00a.m.,therewasonefootofwateroverIngramandCallaghanRds.…Areas[inthesouthportionofBexarCounty]thatwerehitthehardestincludedtheEspadaRdareaneartheSanAntonioRiverandLoop410intersection(Section7,Page12)5[emphasisadded].”
One specific area of concern that was discussed at the workshop was the VIATransportationfacility.ItislocatednearthesourceoftheSanPedrospringsandbuiltovertheSanPedrocreek.Thefacilityislowlying,sometimesflooded,andcentraltoVIA’sabilitytomaintainitsvehiclesandoffertransportationservicestotheregion.
As discussed in section 5.2.1, flooding is a critical problem for the city and withprojections of increasing intensity of precipitation events the committee scoredpotentialcriticaltransportationinfrastructureamedium‐highvulnerability.
5.2.3LowwatercrossingshighcallrescuesitesAnotherimportanteffectofincreasedfloodinginthecityistheimpactsoffloodingonlowwatercrossingsandhighcallrescuesites.(Seesection5.2.1forfloodingimpactstothecity.)AccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan,
“Flood‐relatedrescuesoftenoccuratswiftwaterandlowwatercrossing.Swiftwaterrescuesarerare,sincemostcallsforassistancearerelatedtostalledorstrandedvehicles inornear lowwatercrossings.New lowwatercrossingsmayanddoemergeasaresultofincreaseddevelopmentorchangestothehydrology/floodplainofanarea(Section7Page17)5.”
Asfloodfrequencydecreasesandintensityincreases,sotoomightresidentsbecomelessvigilantintheirawarenessoftheirsurroundings,placingthemselvesatincreasedriskandpotentiallyrequiringemergencyresponse.Further,changestofloodplainsmayintroducenewareaswherelowwatercrossingsareanissue.AccordingtothediscussionswiththeRAC,thisisparticularlytrueasmorepeoplemovetothearea.Thesenewresidentswillneedadditionalfloodeducationtoensurepublicsafety.
5.2.4LocalfoodsecurityTheissueoffoodsecurityemergedthroughdiscussionswiththeResilienceAdvisoryCommittee.TheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculturedefinesfoodsecurityas,“accessbyallpeopleatalltimestoenough food foranactive,healthy life25.” Inthesediscussions,concerns focused on how climate could affect local solutions to deal with “fooddeserts” such as the San Antonio Food Bank’s community gardens26and the SanAntonioHousingAuthority’s fruitorchard27, as somecity residentshavea limitedability to access their local grocery store. According to a 2012 report by the SanAntonioMetropolitanHealthDistrictandtheUniversityofTexas,BexarCounty’sfoodsystemhasdeficienciesdespiteprogramssuchasWICandSNAPtoenhanceaccesstofood,anditisclearthatincertainpartsofthecitythereisasubstantialfood‐basedneed28.Figure22showsthepercentageofthepopulationbyzipcodethatliveswithinonemileofagrocerystore,supermarket,orfarmersmarket.Thedarkerredzipcodesareplaceswherealargepercentageoftheresidentsdonotlivewithin1mileofthesehealthyfoodoptions.
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Figure 22: Percent of the Population living within 1 mile of a grocery store,supermarketorfarmer’smarketbyzipcodeinSanAntonio.
WithinBexarCountythereareatotalof160,770acresclassifiedasimprovedfarmorranch (58,858of those acres arewithin SanAntonio city limits).As temperaturescontinuetowarmandthenumberofhotdaysandwarmnightsoccurringonaverageeach year increase, agriculture and livestockproductionmaybe affected. Further,livestockareaffectedbyextremeheatinthatitcanmakethemvulnerabletodiseases,threaten feed supplies, and affect their fertility/reproduction29 . According to theTexas A&M agricultural program, during the 2011 drought, ranchers providedsupplementalfeedingforlivestockorbegantoliquidateherds(HMP,Section5Page6)5.Diminishedagriculturalandlivestockproductioncouldhaveeconomicimpactsonthecity.TheResilienceAdvisoryCommitteeratedthisamedium‐highvulnerabilityduetothefactthatanyeffortstocreateamorelocalizedfoodeconomywouldbeaffectedbychangesinclimate.Further,aschangingclimateconditionsaffectthegreaternationalandinternationalfoodsystem,thosewhoalreadylackaccesstohealthyfoodchoicesduetotheirlowersocio‐economicstatusmightbefurtheraffectedifthosechangesincreasethepriceoffoodthatisbroughtintothecity.
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5.3MediumVulnerabilities
5.3.1PoorAirQualityandPotentialNon‐AttainmentDuetoOzoneSan Antonio is already near the non‐attainmentthreshold for ground level ozone. The U.S.
EnvironmentalProtectionAgency’sdefinitionof“non‐attainment”states,“anyareathatdoesnotmeet(orthatcontributestoambientairqualityinanearbyareathatdoesnotmeet) the national primary or secondary ambient air quality standard for thepollutant 30 .” Ground level ozone has known human health effects, such asexacerbating asthma, reducing lung function, and creating lung inflammation 31 .Groundlevelozoneformswhensunlightcomesintocontactwithvehicularemissions.Studies have shown that ground level ozone levels increase when temperaturesincrease32.Thus,highertemperaturesresultinhigherlevelsofozone.Theprojectedgrowthofthecityandincreaseinthenumberofvehicles(andthusemissions)willalso increase ozone levels. There are direct financial implications to consumers,businesses, and industry along with increases in ground level ozone leading toincreased school absences, medication use, visits to physicians, emergency roomvisits,andhospitalizations31.
Datafrom2005‐2007showedanincreaseinthenumberofunhealthydaysduetoozoneforBexarCounty,whichwashigherthanthestateofTexasoverall(Figure23).EffectiveDecember28th,2015,TheEPAreducedthe8‐hourozonestandardfrom75partsperbillionto70partsperbillion33.TheSanAntonioareaattainmentstatusis“pending” (based on information from the Texas Commission on EnvironmentalQuality34)whiletheEPAupdatestheimplementationrulesandguidancearoundthenewstandard.Increasingtemperatures,1.1millionmorepeoplemovingtotheregionby2040,andtheincreasedtransportationserviceneedsforthosepeopleallhavethepotentialtoincreasegroundlevelozoneintheregion.
Figure 23:Annual number of poor air quality days due to ozone,Texas andBexarCounty,2005‐20071212.
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Theconcernsraisedbythecommitteewerethattransportationprojectstoenhancecapacityforthegrowingpopulationcouldbestalledduetorestrictionsandfundingrequirementsrelatedtoa“non‐attainment”designation.Asaresult,theCitymightneedtofindnewmodesoftransportationtoincreasecapacity(e.g.publictransit)andworktoincreaseemissionscontrolstoreducebaselineozonelevels.
5.3.2WildfiresAlthough wildfire threat within most of the city is relatively low, continuingdevelopmentinthenorthandnorthwestportionofSanAntonioexpandsthewildlandurbaninterfacedeeperintomorefireproneareas.AccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan, 22% of the population lives along thiswildland urban interface5. Figure 24demonstratesthishigherriskinthenorth,northwestregionofthecity35.
Figure24:WildfireriskforSanAntonioandsurroundingareas35.
Economic impacts of wildfires can be large. For example, the Bastrop ComplexWildfire in2011, itselfaresultofseveredroughtconditions,resultedinestimatedlossesofover$209million36.Wildfiresdonottendtohavemuchdirect impactontransportationinfrastructure,thoughindirectimpactsfromdisruptionofevacuationroutes,aswellasdecreasedsoilstabilityandsubsequenterosionandsedimentationaccumulation, canbesignificant.Further,wildfires could createbottlenecks in thetransportation system interfering with wildfire evacuation and thus threateningpublichealth/safety36.
“TheSanAntonioFireDepartmentreported83wildfireeventsbetween2007andOctober2014and twowildfireeventsreportedby theNationalClimaticDataCenter(NCDC)in2011and2014,whichresultedin$250,000ofpropertydamages.(Section8Page2)5.”
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Changing climate conditions are likely to increase temperatures and increase thelikelihood of dry conditions, further exacerbating wildfire risk. The ResilienceAdvisoryCommitteemembersfeltthatthecitywouldbemorevulnerabletowildfiresinthefaceoftheseprojectedchangestoclimate.Further,asthepopulationincreasesandthere ismoredevelopmentalongthewildlandurbaninterface,morepropertyandpeoplewillbeatrisk.Thiscouldstresstheemergencyresponsesystems.
5.3.3Multi‐familyresidencesin100‐yearfloodplainThe flooding impacts have been outlined thoroughly in Section 5.1.1, and withprojectionsforincreasedseverityoftheseevents,thecommitteeratedtheseimpactsto multi‐family housing in the floodplain a medium vulnerability. The committeedecidedthatpeoplelivinginmulti‐familyresidents,whilesometimespartofstrongsocialnetworksintheircommunities,generallyhadlower“adaptivecapacity”duetogenerallylowerincomesandlessaccesstotransportationthanthoselivinginsingle‐familyhomes.Thesheernumberofpeople inasinglemulti‐familycomplexcreatechallengescommunicatingwithandrelocatingresidentsduringemergencyevents.Onthepositiveside,thereareeffortsunderwaytoidentifyandreducefloodrisk.ThecityparticipatedinanefforttoredrawthefloodriskmapsaspartofapartnershipknownastheBexarRegionalWatershedManagement(BRWM)partners,consistingofBexarCounty,theSanAntonioRiverAuthority(SARA)and20othersuburbancitiesinBexarCounty.Theresultofthiseffortareinteractiveonlinemaps,housedbySARA,thatallowresidentstoseewheretheirhomesarewithinthefloodplain37.TheBRWMpartnershiphasalsodevelopedathreeyearrollingcapitalimprovementprojectplanto prioritize and fund $500 million worth of regional drainage projects over tenyears38.
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5.4Medium‐LowVulnerabilities
5.4.1Single‐familyresidencein100‐yearfloodplainAlthough facing similar flood risk as multi‐familyresidents, the committee felt that the city had agreater capability to help people living in single‐
familyresidencesprepareforandrespondtofloodevents.Thisislargelyduetothenumberofresidentsandtheabilitytocommunicatewiththeseresidents.Further, both the City of San Antonio and Bexar County have taken steps to stopdevelopmentofadditionalresidencesfromthefloodplainwiththeaforementionedSARAfloodriskmaps,aunifieddevelopmentcodetoensureappropriatepermittingfor the floodplain, and other efforts. For these reasons, despite a recognition thatflood intensity and severity will increase with changing climate conditions, thecommitteerankedthisKeyAreaofConcernamedium‐lowvulnerability.
5.4.2Extremeheatimpactsonnativespecies(trees)Treescanbevulnerabletoextremeheatandpreservingtheurbantreecanopyisaconcern.TheCityLandscapingandTreePreservationOrdinancerequiresdeveloperswhointendtoremovetreesorvegetationtoobtainatreepreservationpermitfromthe City. In addition, the ordinance has requirements for landscaping, buffers,streetscapeplanting,andfences39,40.Increasingaveragetemperaturesandmorehotdaysandwarmnightscombinedwithprojectionsofincreasingriskofdryconditionsmaycreatedroughtconditionsthatwillkilltrees,especiallyincircumstanceswhereplantingandlandscapingpracticesmaynothavebeenuptostandard(i.e.roothealthanddepthofplantingmaynotbeadequate). Theworkshop discussion centered on the need formore training andcertificationforthoseplantingtreesasawaytosupporttreehealthandpreserveandexpandthecity’scanopy.
5.4.3GeographicdistributionofthemunicipalwatersupplyTheSanAntonioWaterSystem(SAWS)hasdevelopedawaterconservationprogramthatisoneofthebestinthecountry41.Becauseofthis,andsomeexcellentplanningandcoordinationefforts,thecityhasbeenabletoprovidewaterforitsresidentsevenduringtimesofdrought.Yet,as thecitycontinuestogrowandachangingclimatecontinues to affect both the supply and demand for water, San Antonio will beincreasingly challenged. These challenges will include expanding water supplycapacitytomeettheprojectedneedsofnewresidentsandnewlydevelopedareas,especiallyunderdroughtconditions.Incorporatingchangingclimateconditionswillrequireenhancingstrategicplanningtoensurethatthereisenoughwatertocarrythecitythroughfuturedryperiods.
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SAWShasademographerwhoutilizesallofthebestavailableinformationinordertoestimateandprojectthenumberofpeopleusingSAWSwater,bothfortheentireservicearea,andonmuchsmallerscales.SAWSisworkingtodevelopanewpipelinein2016tobringwaterfromsouthernBexarCountytothewesternsideofitsservicearea,tosupplementtheexistingpipelinethatservicestheeasternsideofitsservicearea(Figure25).InadditiontotheexistinginnovativeAquiferStorage&Recoveryproject and existing Local Carrizo project at SAWSTwinOaks facility in southernBexarCounty,SAWSisalsodevelopingabrackishgroundwaterdesalinationprogramand additional production from the Carrizo Aquifer in Bexar County, to furtherdiversify its water provision efforts. Phase 1 of the desalination programwill becomplete in 2016, and the project eventually expects to provide the city with anadditional30milliongallonsofwaterperday42.This is the largestplannedinlanddesalinationprojectcurrentlyintheUnitedStates.
Figure25:ProposednewpipelinethatwillbringwaterfromsouthernBexarCountytotheeasternandwesternsidesofitsservicearea,toenhanceflexibility42.
Inaddition,anotherproposedwatersolution,theAbengoaVistaRidgeproject,wouldtransportwaterfromBurlesonCountytoSanAntonio.TheuniqueaspectofthisprojectisitsdiversificationinsupplyawayfromtheEdwardsAquifer(Figure26).
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Figure26:MapofProposedVistaRidgePipeline43.
WhileSAWS2012WaterManagementPlandoesnotexplicitlyincludeprojectionsofchangingclimateconditions,itdoesplanfordroughtusingthedroughtofrecordfromthe1950s.Figure27,below,showswaterdemandforaseriesofnineyears(darkblack line)alongwithavailablewater supplies (coloredbars).Thedemand line issloped upward to account for population growth coupled with a sustainedconservationprogram.Thecoloredbarsrepresentwaterthatwouldbeavailableiftheseven‐yeardroughtthatoccurredduringthe1950sweretoreoccurinthefuture.Asseeninthefigure,itisn’tuntilthe2030s,andtheseventhyearofthedrought,thatthereisaprojectedgapbetweenwatersupplyandwaterdemand.
Figure27:SAWS2012WaterManagementPlansuppliesfortheyears2033‐2041.Darkblacklineshowswaterdemandbyyearbasedonpopulationgrowth.Coloredbarsshowwatersupplyintheeventthatthedroughtofthe1950swastoreoccur41.
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Recognizingthefactthatextremedroughtshavethepotentialtooccurinthefutureandconsideringtheongoingeffortstodiversifywatersupplyresourcesandenhanceconservationefforts, thecommitteerated thisKeyAreaofConcernamedium‐lowvulnerability.
5.5LowVulnerabilities
5.5.1MunicipalwaterqualityduringdroughtsAnother issue raised by the Resilience AdvisoryCommittee was the challenge of ensuring waterquality that meets standards during times ofdrought.AccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan:
“Basedon31recordeddroughteventsoversevenextendedtimeperiodswithinan18year reportingperiod, theCityofSanAntonioaverages twodroughtsevery year.This lends toahighly likely frequencyofoccurrence,meaningadroughtcanbeexpectedonanannualyearcycle(HMP,Section5page7)5.”
Working under the assumption that droughts are inevitable events to plan for,concernsaroseduringdiscussionswiththeResilienceAdvisoryCommitteeaboutthepotentialforincreasedwatermainbreaksandtheirpotentialtoaffectwaterquality.In particular,water quality can be an issue in dead‐endwater lineswherewaterremains stagnant for longerperiodsof time.The committee felt that this is a lowvulnerability due to the diversification of supply and overall system redundancy.SAWShas acquiredandpreserved135,000acres aspartof SanAntonio’sAquiferProtection Program in an effort to protect water quality. Thus, while overallvulnerability is low, there are recommendations to consider connecting dead endmainsandcreatecodesagainstcul‐de‐sacs(oneofthesourcesofdeadendmains)toensurecontinuedwaterqualityduringtimesofdrought.
5.5.2WastewatertreatmentandsewageoverflowTheissueofwastewatertreatmentandsewageoverflowisapotentialconcern.Heavyprecipitationeventshaveledtoinfiltrationofstormwaterintothesewersystem,eventhoughSAWSdoesnothaveacombinedsewer‐stormwatersystem.Thishasbeenaprobleminthepast,resultinginanumberofsewageoverflowsincludingonesinMayandOctoberof2015.AconsentdecreewiththeU.S.EnvironmentalProtectionAgencywas passed towork tomitigate these issues. SAWS has invested funds to fix thecollection system, removeobstructions, and is in theprocessofdevelopinganewsewersystemmodeltobetterpreparefor,track,andrespondtotheseevents.Thisprojectrepresentsamajorinvestmentinthesewerinfrastructureoverthenext10years that could greatly decrease the number of sewer overflow events. It isimportanthoweverthatfutureclimateprojectionsbeincorporatedtoensurethesemodificationsareeffective.
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5.5.3MunicipalwaterpeakdemandPercapitawaterusehasbeendecreasing in theCity. In2011, residentsused143gallonsofwaterperpersonperday in2011.Thatnumber fell to126gallonsperpersonperdayin2013and121gallonsperpersonperdayin2014.Thesepercapitaimprovements, although significant and important, could be challenged by annualextreme temperatures anddrought‐like conditions.Consecutivedayswithout rainandhighheatconditions,especiallywhencombinedwiththeprojectedpopulationsgrowthof20,000newresidentsayear,have thepotential to increasepeakwaterdemand. Accordingly, despite SAWS aims to continue to set more progressiveconservationgoalsinthenextupdateofitsWaterManagementPlan,thecommitteefelt that this was a Key Area of Concern to consider. According to the DraftConservationPlan:
“TherearetimeperiodswhenSAWShasanexcessofwatersupplyneededforthecommunityandtimeperiodswhencurtailedpermitsanddroughtreducetheEdwardssupplybyupto44%.Thecombinationofrapidlygrowingpopulation,agrowingeconomy,prolongeddroughtperiodsanddecreasedwater sourcepermitshas required SanAntonio tobe innovative in itsapproach towaterplanning(page2)41.”
Toplanforafuturewheremoremunicipalwaterwillbeneeded,especiallyduringdry months or years, SAWS uses the drought of record (1950‐1958) in theirsimulations of water supply needs. SAWS currently relies solely on historicalexperience, rather than climate projections, whichmay not be sufficient to guidepreparednesseffortsoverthelongerterm.Figure27aboveshowshowSAWSuseshistoricdroughtconditionstoplanforthefuture.By2020,SAWSwillhavedevelopedmore water supplies, including the implementation of its brackish groundwaterdesalination program. Further, they are connecting themselves to other watersourcesthrougharegionalpipelinenetwork, therebyprovidingredundancyinthesystemandcreatingtheabilitytoshiftwaterfromonelocationtoanother,enhancingoverallresiliencewithinthesystem.Resultingfromfar‐reachingeffortstoconservewater,municipalwateruseisonthedecline(Figure28).Becauseofthis,andotherforward‐thinkingeffortsonSAWSandthe City of San Antonio, the committee rated this Key Area of Concern a lowvulnerability.
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Figure28:DailyPerCapitaWaterUseingallonsperpersonperdayinSanAntoniofrom1979‐201344.
5.5.4CoolingwateravailableforpowerplantsAccordingtotheHazardMitigationPlan,duringtimesofdrought,
“Theservicethatwillbethemostdirectlyimpactedwillbeutilities,bothwaterdeliveryandelectric(forthoseproducersthatrelyonhydroelectricproductionor nuclear power generationmethods, as some providers in the region do).Withoutasteadysupplyofwater,utilitiesmaycutbackenergygenerationandservicetotheircustomersandpossiblytoprioritizetheservicethattheyareabletoprovide(Section5pages9‐10)5.”
Oneclimaterelatedconcernisthatincreasingtemperatureswillincreaseevaporationrates for Lake Calaveras and Lake Braunig, two criticalwater sources for coolingpower plants. Without either sufficient water for cooling, or if cooling watertemperaturesaretoohigh,powerproductioncanbereducedorlimited.CPSEnergy’sability to divert water for cooling is limited by the Texas Commission onEnvironmental Quality. This could create a potential vulnerability, as there isincreasing competition for surfacewater.Despite this, the committee felt that thevulnerabilitywaslowanddiscussioncenteredontheneedto:
DevelopadirectpipelinefromSAWSDosRiosWaterRecyclingCentertoCPSEnergy;
Increase investment in renewable energy sources to obviate the need fordiversionofwater;and
Developlargerorvariablespeedpumpssothatdiversionscanbebettertimedwithdiurnalavailability.
0
50
100
150
200
250
1979 1981 1983 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013
gallons per person per day
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6.0ActionsandNextStepsThere are many ways that the City, community organizations, and partnersthroughouttheregioncanworktogethertoprepareforextremeweathereventsandanticipatetheimpactsofachangingclimate.Whendonewell,theseeffortscangreatlyreducetheclimaterelatedvulnerabilityoftheregionandhelpSanAntoniocontinuetobeanattractiveandvibrantcommunityfarintothefuture.When it comes to building resilience, there is no silver bullet or one size fits allstrategythatcanbeusedeverywhere.ThestrategiesshownbelowarebasedonacombinationofbestpracticesfromothercommunitiesaswellasinputfromresidentsofSanAntonio,theResilienceAdvisoryCommittee,theSustainabilityPlanSteeringCommittee,andtheCity’s leadershipteam.Thesestrategiesrepresentsomeof themost promising approaches to building resilience to the identified weather andclimate related risks. Under each theme, the table highlights key sustainabilitystrategies currently under review as part SATomorrow planning process and thebulletedlistidentifiesadditionalrelevantpracticesfromothercommunities.
6.1Flooding
Flooding1:FloodRiskManagementKeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusArea
Integrateaclimatechangequestionnaireinthebuildingdevelopmentreviewprocesstoassesshowclimatechangecouldimpactnewdevelopmentandmajorrenovationsandencouragedeveloperstodesigntheirbuildingstoberesilienttotheseimpacts.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Adoptalowimpactdevelopmentstandardrequiring100%ofonsitestormwatermanagementforallnewdevelopmentandsignificantretrofits.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Createastormwaterutilityandproduceincentivesforexistingdevelopmentstomanage100%ofstormwateronsite.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:
• “Identifyappropriatefloodriskacceptanceanddevelopsupportingstandardsandguidelines.Threeoptionsinclude:
o InformedScienceApproach:Usethebestavailableclimatesciencedatatodeterminefuturefloodconditions,andelevatestructuresabovethatfuturefloodlevel.
o FreeboardValueApproach:Elevatestructuresandfacilitiestwofeetforstandardprojectsandthreefeetforcriticalprojectsabovethe100‐yearfloodlevel.
o 500‐YearElevationApproach:Elevatestructurestothe500‐yearfloodlevel(afloodwitha0.2percentchanceofoccurringinanygivenyear).FEMA,NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
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• Adoptandenforceupdatedbuildingcodes.Stricterbuildingcodesfornewconstructionandexistingfacilitiesmayhelpthecityprotectitsbuildingstockfromfloodingaswellaswind,andprolongedpoweroutages.Targetedstrategiesincludebuildingcodelegislation/regulationchanges,adjustmentstozoningregulations,incentiveprograms,andbestpracticesguides.Salem,MA,Durham,NC,andLafourcheParish,LA.
• Limitorrestrictdevelopmentinfuturefloodingareas.Thefirststepistoreviewtheexistingregulationsandzoningordinances,reviewhistoricalfloodeventsandinsuranceclaims,reviewfuturefloodinglevels,anddetermineimplicationstotaxbaseandprivatepropertyrights.Salem,MAandSeabrook,NH.
• Retrofitexistingstructuresandstudyandimplementzoningchangestoencourageconstructiononlyofnewresilientbuildingsinthe100‐yearfloodplain.NewYorkCity,NYorRetrofitorelevatestructurestothe500‐yearfloodlevel(afloodwitha0.2percentchanceofoccurringinanygivenyear).Durham,NHandChester,PA.
• Establishnewroadandstreetgradeandbuildingfirstfloorelevationandinfrastructurerequirementscoveringthelife‐cycleofsuchconstructionbasedonthefloodelevationsprojectedinthisstudyto2050and2100(i.e.preferablyanelevationthatexceedscurrentcity,state,andFEMAstandards).Portsmouth,NH.
Improve on‐site stormwater management practices such as: creatingmonetary&non‐monetaryincentivesforstormwatermanagementorre‐use,including within Low Impact Development (LID) projects or creating pilotprojects to demonstrate the value of on‐site stormwater management(examplesincludegreenroofs,raingardens,cisterns,andbioswales).NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
Flooding2:UtilizeFEMA’sCommunityRatingSystem
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusArea
JoinFEMA'sCommunityRatingSystemprogram.GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Dedicateastaffpersontolearnmoreaboutwhatisinvolvedinparticipation
intheFEMACommunityRatingSystem(CRS‐http://www.fema.gov/national‐flood‐insurance‐program‐community‐rating‐system).
• AssessandreviewopportunitiesforcontinuingeducationcoursesofferedbyFEMA’sEmergencyManagementInstitute(EMI),includingcoursesonfloodplainmanagementandtheNFIP’sCRS.
• Evaluateand,ifneeded,developmorestringentregulationsforhomeownersinfloodzones,sothatthecommunityiseligibleforareductionininsurancerates.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA,SanDiego,CA,Swinomish,WA,Chester,PA,Lewes,DE,andDorchester,MD.
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Flooding3:Outreachtothoselivingwithinfloodplains
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusArea
Initiateaclimateeducationcampaignforbusinessesandpropertyowners,includingdetailsabouthowtomakebuiltinfrastructuremoreresilienttoexistingandprojectedchangesinclimate.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Developanddistributeoutreachandeducationalmaterialsforbuilding
ownersandtenantsabouttheriskoflivinginareasvulnerabletofloods.SanDiego,CAandSomerset,MD.
• Mailfloodsafetyinformation,includingevacuationzonesandroutes,and“turnaround,don’tdrown”keymessagesaboutflashflooding,toallresidentswithinthecity.Waveland,MSandDurham,NH.
• Establishahomeownereducationprogramonfloodmitigationmeasurestoencourageownersofrepetitiveandsevererepetitivelosspropertiescitywidetoparticipateinmitigationactivitiessuchasfloodproofing,elevation,orbuyoutprograms,andprepareafloodplainmanagementplanfortherepetitivelossareas.Waveland,MSandLafourcheParish,LA.
• Enhanceeffortstoeducatehomeandbusinessownersonthevalueofon‐sitewaterconservation,retention,andcatchment.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
Flooding4:Acquireandremovehigh‐riskstructuresinfloodzones
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Identifysourcesoffunding,suchasFEMA,topurchasehigh‐riskstructures
fordemolishmentorfloodproofing.• Explorecreativefinancingprogramsorcheaperinsurancestructurestohelp
incentivizeresidentstomoveoutofvulnerableareas.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
Flooding5:Floodplainrestoration
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusAreaEvaluateandadoptordinancestocreatebufferzonesaroundfloodplains,riparianareas,andothernaturalpriorityareas
NaturalResources
Adoptconservationdevelopment friendlyordinancesthatminimizedevelopmentinnaturalgreenways,floodplains,nearwaterwaysinordertoprotectwatershedandallowformoregreenspace
NaturalResources
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:
• Protect,restore,andenhancefloodplains,therebyincreasingtheabilityoftheaquaticsystemstoholdhighflows,filtersediment,andallowreplenishmentofgroundwaterstoresandtoaddresshealthconcernsrelatedtofloodingsuchascontrollingdiseasevectors.SanLuisObispo,CAandFlagstaff,AZ.
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• Restoreproperfunctiontofloodplainsandstreamchannels.Byreconnecting,re‐vegetating,andre‐contouringfloodplainsandstreamchannels,thesesystemsshouldbeusedtoprovidewaterstorage,groundwaterrecharge,sedimentcapture,andfloodabatementandalsoprovideessentialhabitatforaquaticandterrestrialspecies.DaneCounty,WI.
Flooding6:ProtectWastewaterTreatment
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Providefloodprotectionforkeywatertreatmentfacilitiesandassets.Reduce
floodinghazardpotentialalongcreeks,rivers,orotherflowingwaterintakesources;flood‐proofstructuresorfeaturesatwaterdepartmentsites;andprotectvulnerableassetsinlowlyingareas.SantaCruz,CA.
Continueworking to reduce inflow and infiltration towastewater systems.This could include: working to identify current inflow and infiltration towastewater system and enhancing funding to accelerate repairs andreplacementofcriticalareas.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
Flooding7:UpdateEmergencyManagementandResponsePlanning
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusAreaEstablishanetworkof"blockcaptains"thatcanbeactivatedtogodoortodoortocheckonthehealthofhighriskneighborsduringorafteradisaster.
PublicHealth
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Priortoahazardevent,identifyleadcontactsservingvulnerablepopulations
andcoordinateactionstomaximizesafetyandinformationsharing.Leadscanassistandprovidesupportduringhazardevents.
• Establishanetworkof“blockcaptains”thatcanbeactivatedtogodoortodoortocheckonthehealthofhigh‐riskneighbors.SomeexamplesofotherneighborhoodemergencymanagementoutreachmaterialsareavailablefromSeattle(hereandhere)orforBaltimoreCity.
• Continuetoworkwithresidentstocreateahomeemergencykitthatensuresthatallresidentshavetheresourcestheyneedtosurviveduringanevent.Thiskitshouldincludeback‐upmedications,rationsoffood,andsecondarycommunicationtechnologies.
• Expandtrainingandeducationofhealthandsocialservicessystems/providerstoidentifyandtreatmentalhealthproblemsafterextremeclimateevents.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA;Seattle,WA;Baltimore,MD.
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6.2ExtremeHeat
Heat1:CoordinateSocialServicesforExtremeHeatEvents
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusAreaRevieweffectivenessofcoolingcentersandotherhighheatdaystrategiesandidentifyunderservedareasforincreasedexpansionofexistingstrategiesornewstrategiestomitigatetheeffectsofhighheatdays.
PublicHealth
Expandthenumberofpubliclyaccessibleparksandopenspaceareaswithinthecity. PublicHealth
Developa“HealthybyDesign”programforallnewaffordablehousingprojects. PublicHealth
Expandthesolarhostingprogram,increasinginstallationsatlowincomeandaffordablehousingunits. Energy
Createincentivestoencouragethedevelopmentofaffordablehousingintransitrichareasthroughoutthecity.
LandUse&Transportation
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:
• Facilitatenetworkingandcoordinationofsocialservicestovulnerablepopulationsinanticipationofextremeheatevents.Chester,PA,LeeCounty,FL,andNewYorkCity,NY.
• Evaluateandenhancethecoolingplanforextremeheateventsforeachcommunity,withspecialattentiontovulnerablepopulations,throughtheexpansionandprovisionofcoolingstationsthroughoutthecity.Ensurethatplanningincludesprovisionoftransportationservicesforthosewhoneedthem.Chester,PA,ConfederatedSalishandKootenaiTribes,andLeeCounty,FL,Baltimore,MD,MetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments,andBentonCounty,OR.
• Strengthenandexpandthenotificationsystemforresidents,schoolsandbusinessesduringextremeheatevents.ChulaVista,CA,Swinomish,WA,andBentonCounty,OR.
• Developpublichealthsurveillanceprogramstomonitorheat‐relatedillness.Chester,PA.
Heat2:DecreasetheUrbanHeatIslandEffect
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusArea
Adoptanurbanheatislandmitigationordinanceforallnewdevelopmentsandmajorrenovationprojects.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Expandthenumberofpubliclyaccessibleparksandopenspaceareaswithinthecity. PublicHealth
DevelopaStreetTreeStrategicPlan.NaturalResources
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KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Identify“heatisland”areasofthecommunityandincreasegroundcoverand
shadebycreatingorexpandingurbanforests,communitygardens,parks,andnativevegetation‐coveredopenspaces.Otherstrategiesincludegreenroofs,coolroofs,andcoolpavements.LeeCounty,FL,Austin,TX,Baltimore,MD,andMetropolitanWashingtonCouncilofGovernments.
6.3Drought
Drought1:ResidentialWaterConservation
KeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusArea
UpdatewaterefficiencystandardsincitybuildingcodesGreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Pilotabuildingenergyandwaterdisclosureandbenchmarkingprogram.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Adoptaprogramtophaselargecommercialbuildingsoffofpotablewateruseforlandscaping.
NaturalResources
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:
• Extendorenhanceincentives(rebatesorgrants)touseofdripirrigation,rainbarrelsandcisterns,andotherresidentialconservationmethods.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
Drought2:LandscapingwithNativeandDroughtTolerantPlantsKeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusAreaExpandincentivesfornativeplants/low‐wateruselandscapingandotherresidentialwaterconservationstrategies
NaturalResources
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:
• Enhanceexistingoutdoorplantingincentives(rebatesorgrants)programfornative,droughttolerantplants,andrainwater‐capturinglandscapes.
• PartnershipswiththeCityofSanAntonio’sarboristscouldbestrengthenedtomaintaingeneticdiversityandmakeclimateresilientanddroughttoleranttreespeciespubliclyavailable,especiallyundertheCity’sLandscapingandTreePreservationOrdinance.
• Developfinancial,regulatory,orotherincentiveprogramtopromotegreateruseofnativeplantsathomesandatindustrial/commercialsites.
• Provideincentivesforremovinglawnsandinvasivespeciesandreplacingthemwithnativeplans.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
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Drought3:EducationonWaterConservation,Retention,andCatchmentKeystrategiesfromtheSATomorrowPlan FocusAreaAdoptalowimpactdevelopmentstandardrequiring100%ofonsitestormwatermanagementforallnewdevelopmentandsignificantretrofits.
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
Enhanceincentivesforexistingdevelopmentstomanage100%ofstormwateronsite
GreenBuildings&Infrastructure
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:
• Createoutreachmaterialstoexplaintohomeandbusinessownersthevalueofon‐sitestormwaterretention,rainwatercatchment,availabilityofincentives,andvaluetothecommunityandecosystems.
• Educateonthebroaderissueoftheneedforwaterconservation,retention,andcatchment.NorthOlympicPeninsula,WA.
6.4Wildfire
Wildfire1:AddresstheWildland‐UrbanInterface
KeyStrategiesfromOtherCommunities:• Manageforestdensityforreducedsusceptibilitytodroughtstress.This
includesdevelopingastrategytoreducebiomassfuelinthewildland‐urbaninterface.JamestownS’KlallamTribe,WA,andSantaCruz,CA.
• Monitortrendsinforestconditionandclimatetoproactivelyidentifyareaswithhighsusceptibilitytowildfire.JamestownS’KlallamTribe,WA.
• Developwildfiremanagementoverlayzonesforhigh‐riskareasthatcontrolnewdevelopmentregardingdensity,buildinglocation,anddesignandfuelmanagement.Thismayrequireaddingadditionalstaffingtoimplementthesestrategies.LaPlata,COandBoulderCounty,CO.
• AdoptandmaintainFireWisecommunitystandardsandfirebufferzones.SwinomishIndianTribe,WA.
• Regulatedevelopmentinandadjacenttothewildland‐urbaninterfacetorequirenewdevelopmentinhigh‐riskareastoberesponsibleforfirepreventionactivities(visiblehousenumbering,useoffire‐resistantandfire‐retardantbuildingandlandscapematerials)andtoalsoprovideadefensiblezonetoinhibitthespreadofwildfires.SantaCruz,CA.
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6.5ClimateInformationIn many cases, it can be valuable to obtain climate projections, information, oranalysis that is tailored to be useful in specific decisions. For example, somecommunities(suchasBoulder,CO;Chicago,Il;LasCruces,NM;Miami,OK;andSanAngelo,TX)haveidentifiedkeyclimateorweatherrelatedthresholdsofconcernandthen had analysis done to identify potential changes to the frequency that thosethresholds will be crossed in the future given different climate scenarios. Thisinformation can be useful in making decisions related to human health, watersupplies, emergencymanagement, and other city operations.TheCity,andotherlocal and regional organizations partners who have participated in thisassessment,shouldconsiderhavingthisadditionalclimateanalysisdonetohelpmaketheclimate informationmoreusefulandusablebythedepartmentsandorganizationsacrossthecounty.
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7.0Appendices
Appendix1:ComprehensiveKeyAreasofConcernList
Temperature1. Poorairquality/non‐attainmentduetoincreasedozonefromincreased
temperatures(specificallyaffectingtransportationprojectsthatcouldincreasecapacity).
2. Decreasedairqualityduetoincreasesintemperatures.3. Increasedrainfallandincreasedheatindexresultinginincreasehealtheffects
(specificallytovulnerablepopulations,suchastheelderly,chronicallyill,young,lowincome,etc.).
Water1. Housingdevelopment affectedby increasedprecipitation (buildingdeadlines)and
drought(landscaping).2. Droughtimpacts:
a. Incombinationwithincreasedprecipitationresultinginerosion/soilshiftingb. Meetingpeakdemandformunicipalwateruse(economiceffects).
3. Waterqualityimpactswithflooding.4. Wastewaterimpactsduetoincreasesinpeakflowwithfloodinganddroughtcycles
(thetotalcostsoftheConsentDecreebetweenSAWSandtheU.S.EPAis$1.2Billionandthis investment,whilenotdrivenbyclimatechange,will likelyhavesomeco‐benefitsthathelpwithreducinginfiltrationduringheavyrainfallevents).
5. Drainagecoststodealwithflooding.6. Flooding and drought impacts on crops (especially in dealing with food insecure
populations).7. Stormwaterpollutionpreventionduringfloodingespeciallyduringconstruction(2”
rain=2‐yearstorm).8. Evacuationplanswithincreasesinflooding.9. Respiratoryimpactsduetoflooding/mold.10. Projectdelaysduetoflooding/extremerain(Floodsof1998and2002areexamples),
andbuildingconfidenceinthefloodforecastingsystem.11. Economiccosts/staffingtodealwithincreasedmaintenanceofparksduetoincreases
inrain(increasedneedtomow).12. CityPoliceDepartmentstaffingstrains/risksduringtimesofflooding/roadclosures.13. MetroTransportationinterruptionsandimpactstoevacuationsduetoflooding.14. DroughtandtheeconomiceffectstodrawingnewbusinesstoCity.15. Droughtandfireimpacts/incidence.16. Droughtandfinancialimpactstodealwithconservation.17. Flooding and revenue shortfalls formunicipalwaterusage: lessuseby thepublic
equatestolessmoneyforSAWS.18. Lotsofvariabilityintheimpactsduetofloodinginthecity:
a. “Significantintersections”b. Woodlawnc. 281Basind. WatershedMasterPlans’DamageCenterse. Floodplain—15,000structureswithinthe100‐yearfloodplainf. LeonCreekg. EastSide
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h. PlumbMobileHomeCommunityi. LowWaterCrossings(220withinthecity)
OtherExtremeWeatherEvents
1. Highwindsandtheirimpactsonpowersupplyandresultingoilspills.2. Iceandtransportationimpacts(e.g.bridgestructuresandroadclosures).3. Wildfiresandsecondaryimpactsfromhurricanesandmicro‐bursts.4. Extreme/HighWinds.
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Appendix2:ResilienceAdvisoryCommitteeMembers
ResilienceAdvisoryCommitteeMembers
Name Organization
DonovanAgans UniversityHealthSystem
LeroyAlloway AlamoAreaMPO
JoseBanales SanAntonioPoliceDepartment
RobertBrach BexarCountyPublicWorksAlisonBuck VIAMetropolitanTransitAnthonyChukwudolue
CityofSanAntonio(CoSA) Transportation&CapitalImprovements
StevenClouse SanAntonioWaterSystem
KyleColemanEmergencyManagementCoordinator,BexarCountyOEM
AdamConner SanAntonioWaterSystem
ReneDominguez CoSAEconomicDevelopmentOffice
JohnDugan CoSAPlanning&CommunityDevelopmentGreggEckhart SanAntonioWaterSystem
KarenGuz SanAntonioWaterSystem
NathanielHardy BexarCountyFloodControlTerryKannawin CoSADevelopmentServicesBethKeel SanAntonioHousingAuthority
RachelleLittlefield SanAntonioOfficeofEmergencyManagement
ElizabethLutz BexarCountyHealthCollaborative
JamesMendozaSanAntonioOfficeofEmergencyManagement
RogerPollok CoSASAMHDAbigailRodriguez VIA
DarcieSchipull TexasDepartmentofTransportation
KimStoker CPSEnergy
LawrenceTrevinoSanAntonioOfficeofEmergencyManagement
WayneTschirhart SARA
XavierUrrutia CoSAParksandRecreation
CarlWedige CoSAFirePaulYura NationalWeatherService
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Appendix3:SensitivityandAdaptiveCapacityLevelsTherelativevulnerabilityoftheKeyAreasofConcerndependsonthecombinationofthesensitivityandadaptivecapacityscores.
SensitivityLevels
S0 System will not be affected by the impact
S1 System will be minimally affected by the impact
S2 System will be somewhat affected by the impact
S3 System will be largely affected by the impact
S4 System will be greatly affected by the impact
AdaptiveCapacityLevels
AC0System is not able to accommodate or adjust toimpact
AC1System is minimally able to accommodate oradjusttoimpact
AC2System is somewhat able to accommodate oradjusttoimpact
AC3System is mostly able to accommodate or adjusttoimpact
AC4System is able to accommodate or adjust toimpactinabeneficialway
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Appendix4:VulnerabilityAssessmentWorksheetInstructions
VulnerabilityandAdaptiveCapacityExercise
InstructionsColumn1 KeyAreaofConcern–ThisliststheKeyAreaofConcerntoanalyzeand
considerforthisactivity.Column2 ChangingClimateCondition– Input the climate condition thatwould
impactthatkeyareaofconcernlistedinColumn1.Column3 CurrentClimate/WeatherImpacts–Identifyhowexistingandhistoric
changesinweatherandclimatehaveaffectedorarecurrentlyaffectingthekeyareaofconcernlistedinColumn1.
Column4 PossibleFutureImpacts– Identifypossible impactstothekeyareaof
concerniftheprojectedchangesinclimate(Column2)takeplace.Column5 Non‐ClimateStressors–Recordanynon‐climatefactorsthatcurrently
affect(positivelyornegatively)thekeyareaofconcern.Column6 AssignSensitivity–UsingtheorangeExposure&SensitivityLevelstable
(below)decidehowsensitiveyoubelievethiskeyareaofconcernistothechangingclimateconditionandinputthisnumberintocolumn6(i.e.:S4).
Column7 AbilitytoAdapt‐Identifyexistingattributesorassetsofthekeyareaof
concernthatwillhelpitadapttothechangingclimatecondition.Column8 ResourcesNeeded‐Identifyanyexternalresourcesoractionsthatthe
keyareaofconcernwillneedtoadapttothechangingclimatecondition.Column9 AssignAdaptiveCapacity ‐Using the purpleAdaptiveCapacity Levels
table,assesshowmuchcapacityyoubelievethekeyareaofconcernhasto adapt to the changing climate condition and input this number intocolumn9(i.e.:AC2).
RepeatstepsforeachKeyAreaofConcern
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8.0References
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