A flood risk mapping tool developed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA's) Office for Coastal Management is now available for coastal areas along the entire East Coast and Gulf of Mexico.

The free online tool is intended to help communities start discussions about hazard impacts with maps that show population centers and natural resources exposed to coastal flooding.

(Read the Engineering360 feature article "Hardening the Energy Coast" by clicking here.)

According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count, 39% of the U.S. population lives in counties subject to significant coastal flooding. The population of coastal communities is forecast to rise by 8% by 2020.

The tool enables users to select their location and flood scenario, such as shallow coastal flooding associated with high tides or flooding associated with sea level rise or storm surge. Flood maps are overlaid with exposure maps to show how flood waters might impact area assets. Exposure maps can show information on population density, poverty, the elderly, employment centers and projected population growth as well as the ecosystem. All maps can be saved, printed and shared.