National Cooperative Highway Research Program NCHRP Research Update for STEICS October 19, 2013

NCHRP P ROJECTS OF I NTEREST  20-83(5): Climate Change and the Highway System: Impacts and Adaptation Approaches;  20-05/Topic 44-08: Response to Extreme Weather Impacts on Transportation Systems;  08-36/Task 107: Synthesis of State DOT and MPO Planning and Analysis Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions;  25-25/Task 76: Synthesis of Climate Change and Transportation Research Efforts at State DOTs, State Universities, and Federal Level;  25-25/Task 94: Integrating Extreme Weather into Transportation Asset Management Plans; and  25-25/Task 95: SCOE Strategic Plan and Research Plan for SCOE Areas of Interest.

20-83(05): C LIMATE C HANGE AND THE H IGHWAY S YSTEM : I MPACTS AND A DAPTATION A PPROACHES  Synthesize the range of impacts of climate change on the highway system by region of the United States for the period  Recommend institutional arrangements, tools, approaches and strategies that state DOTs can use during the different stages of planning and project development and system management.  Prepare guidance for dealing with impacts.  Identify future research and activities needed to improve our understanding.

Status: Final report received. Publication expected by April Some guidelines include: 1.How might climate change affect xxxxx? 2.What is the adaptive transportation system management approach to considering climate change? 3.What are the elements of an adaptive xxxxx program? 4.What strategies can be considered as part of the adaptive xxxxx program? 5.What is the process for considering the analysis of such strategies as part of decision making? 6.What are the risk assessment and cost effectiveness tools that can be used to analyze possible strategies? 7.How is an adaptive xxxxx program established? 20-83(05): C LIMATE C HANGE AND THE H IGHWAY S YSTEM : I MPACTS AND A DAPTATION A PPROACHES

Includes a Practitioners’ Web-based Tool to Suggest What Adaptive Actions Should be Considered, If Any First-Order Climate Variable (Columns B and C) Second-Order Climate Variable (If Applicable) (Column D) Method for Estimating the Second-Order Climate Variable (If Applicable) (Column E) Affected Design Input (Column F) Typical Source(s) of Referenced Design Input (Column G) What Future Value to Use for the Affected Design Input? (Column H) Precipitation More extreme rainfall events Stream flows ( year recurrence intervals) Theoretical models (TR- 20, TR-55, HEC-HMS, rational method) 24-Hour precipitation for given recurrence interval NOAA Atlas 14 or TP-40 Preferred: Utilize downscaled projected climate change precipitation values Alternative: Use relative increases in precipitation amounts following the Clasius-Clapeyron relationship IDF Curves NOAA Atlas 14, TP-40, or state specific sources Preferred: Utilize projected IDF curves reflecting projected climate change if available Alternative: Use relative increases in precipitation totals following the Clasius-Clapeyron relationship7 Precipitation distribution NRCS type curves or state specific curves Preferred: Utilize projected precipitation distribution type curves from climate models Alternative: Assume no changes and utilize existing curves

S YNTHESIS 20-05/T OPIC – R ESPONSE TO E XTREME W EATHER I MPACTS ON T RANSPORTATION S YSTEMS Eight cases involving diverse weather events studied 1. Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey (2012) 2. River flooding in Iowa (2011) 3. Intense rains, floods, and tornadoes in Tennessee (2010) 4. Intense rains and floods in Washington state (2007) 5. Tropical Storm Irene in Vermont (2011) 6. Severe snowstorms in Alaska ( ) 7. Drought and Wildfires in Texas (2011) 8. Prolonged Heat Event in Wisconsin (2012)

F INDINGS OF THE SYNTHESIS P UBLICATION EXPECTED M ID -J ANUARY 2014  Reimbursement from Federal programs drives many state practices.  Interagency coordination is important.  Investments in training (e.g. in emergency management, Federal program reimbursement, GIS, etc.) often cited as having facilitated response/recovery.  Engaging in meetings, workshops and other structured activities to share and document knowledge in preparation for future similar events.  Utilizing geospatial data to identify sites at risk and safe locations.  Sharing information through online platforms, such as SharePoint and WebEOC to enable a quick response.  Developing After Action Reports and other records of effective.  Developing succession planning and record retention strategies to retain knowledge.  Research priorities identified.

25-25 AND C OMPLETED E FFORTS  NCHRP 08-36/Task 107: Synthesis of State DOT and MPO Planning and Analysis Strategies to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions =3096  NCHRP 25-25/Task 76: Synthesis of Climate Change and Transportation Research Efforts at State DOTs, State Universities, and Federal Level =3119

A DDITIONAL O NGOING P ROJECTS  NCHRP 25-25/Task 94: Integrating Extreme Weather into Transportation Asset Management Plans  Project selected in October  Report expected by April  NCHRP 25-25/Task 95: SCOE Strategic Plan and Research Plan for SCOE Areas of Interest  Project will include a road map for extreme weather research.

A SSET M ANAGEMENT CONFERENCE

A SSET M ANAGEMENT CONFERENCE : E XTREME W EATHER T RACK

NCHRP Est