Why Use This? This matrix was created to provide the planning and coastal management communities with an expandable chart to compare the functions and methods of publicly available sea level rise and coastal flood web tools. The information in each column is provided by the web tool owner. Specific questions about the tools can be addressed to the tool owner through the contact information provided in their matrix column. For more information or to suggest additional web tools, visit the national matrix page.

Suggested Citation: The Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Web Tools Comparison Matrix. The Nature Conservancy, NOAA's Office for Coastal Management, Climate Central. URL, Date Access:

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Tool		EMBED	Climate Central Surging Seas Risk Finder	NOAA's Office for Coastal Management Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer	NOAA's Office for Coastal Management Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper	Maine Coastal Program/ Maine Geological Survey Sea Level Rise/ Storm Surge Viewer	The Nature Conservancy Coastal Resilience
Tool			Surging Seas Risk Finder Climate Central	Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer NOAA's Office for Coastal Management	Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper NOAA's Office for Coastal Management	Sea Level Rise/ Storm Surge Viewer Maine Coastal Program/ Maine Geological Survey	Coastal Resilience The Nature Conservancy
10	GENERAL	Geographic Scope Geographic extent the tool defines or covers (i.e. national, statewide, county…)	Available for the entire contiguous coastal U.S. -- 22 states and Washington, D.C. -- with releases planned for HI and AK in the future.	National (with the exception of AK)	Coastal areas along Gulf of Mexico and East Coast	Maine coastal zone/coastline	Expanding and now includes 14 U.S. coastal states (AL, CA, CT, FL, HI, LA, ME, MS, NJ, NY, NC, TX, VA, WA), the Caribbean (Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, U.S. Virgin Islands), and across Mexico and Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras). Also global and U.S. national web maps together form the Coastal Resilience network.
10	GENERAL	Link The URL or link where the tool can be accessed	riskfinder.climatecentral.org	coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr, coast.noaa.gov/slrdata/	www.coast.noaa.gov/floodexposure	www.maine.gov/dacf/mgs/hazards/ slr_ss/index.shtml	maps.coastalresilience.org
10	GENERAL	Description Brief 2-3 sentence description of the purpose of the tool.	Searchable web tool providing 1) maps users can customize, embed, & download; 2) downloads: spreadsheets, slideshow-ready tables & graphs, & fact sheets; 3) individual community analyses; 4) area comparisons; 5) local sea level & flood risk projections. 100+ demographic, economic & infrastructure variables analyzed for 1000s of communities from zip code to statewide levels.	Tool allows users to visualize community-level impacts from coastal flooding or sea level rise and provides easy access to inundation and elevation data via NOAA's Digital Coast.	A mapping viewer designed to help coastal communities start discussions about coastal flood hazard impacts with maps that show people, places, and natural resources exposed to coastal flooding.	A visualization tool for communities showing potential impacts from sea level rise or storm surge on top of the highest annual tide (HAT).	An online mapping tool customized for local and state decision makers showing potential impacts from sea level rise and coastal hazards designed to help communities develop and implement solutions that incorporate ecosystem-based adaptation approaches
10	GENERAL	Target Audience The assumed users of the tool (e.g. planners, coastal managers, public)	Decision makers, planners, coastal managers, emergency managers, federal and state agencies, journalists and the general public	Decision makers, planners, coastal managers, floodplain managers, emergency managers, coastal scientists and engineers, general public	Decision makers, planners, coastal managers, floodplain managers, emergency managers, general public	Decision makers, planners, coastal managers, floodplain managers, emergency managers, coastal scientists and engineers, general public	Decision makers, planners, coastal managers, emergency managers, coastal scientists and engineers
10	GENERAL	Skill Level Low (no formal training other than basic computer skills); Medium (need moderate amount of knowledge about coastal management or processes to interpret results); High (need high level of knowledge to interpret information).	Low	Low to Medium	Low	Low	Low-Medium
10	GENERAL	Main Tool Outputs Qualitatively different tool functions or modules that a user can take from the tool. For example, a map might be the primary output, however, the tool may also allow the user to comparisons, scenarios or generate reports.	Maps, community analyses, wide area analysis comparisons, projections, downloads & reports	Maps, sea level rise scenarios, photo simulations, flood frequency graphs	Maps	Maps	Maps (on-screen and pdf), Summary reports (on-screen), Bookmark links, Downloadable spatial data
10	GENERAL	Year Released Year the most current version of the tool was released.	Rolling release starting Fall 2013	2011 Gulf of Mexico / 2012 US West and Mid-Atlantic Coasts / 2013 US NW, SW and Pacific Islands / 2014 Puerto Rico, USVI, NE / 2015 Louisianna	2015	2015	2013
10	GENERAL	Date Column Last Updated	July 2016	April 2017	October 2015	October 2015	October 2014
10	GENERAL	Top Three Strengths As succinctly as possible, list the top three strengths that make this tool unique.	1) Comprehensive tool providing exposure analysis, comparisons, and projections, as well as an interactive map. 2) Analyses cover ~100 variables and conducted for 1000's of individual areas (zips, cities, counties, states, planning and legislative districts at all levels). 3) Local projections combine sea level rise and storm surge to give integrated risk estimates by decade.	1) Easy to use via Web browser, with GIS analysis results and map services available; 2) Uses consistent data sets and analysis for coastal areas nation-wide; 3) Includes photos and allows users to customize local scenarios and visualize impacts of sea level rise at known locations.	1) Allows users to select a location and explore maps that show people, places, and natural resources exposed to coastal flood hazards; 2) Creates a collection of maps to download or share online to communicate flood exposure; 3) Provides guidance for using the maps to engage community members and stakeholders in conversations about potential coastal flood impacts		1) DESIGN: The tool has a modular, plugin architecture: Coastal Resilience “apps” can be developed by anyone and plugged into the web-based mapping platform. This allows developers to design a specific application to highlight a coastal management issue, respond to a disaster for post-storm decision making, or emphasize nature-based alternatives;... 2) PERFORMANCE: Coastal Resilience 2.0 runs faster; operates on tablets; works nationally and globally; is open source, and it’s easy to share results and data; 3) PARTNERSHIPS: Developed among core partners including The Nature Conservancy, University of Southern Mississippi, The Natural Capital Project, NOAA Coastal Services Center, and the Association of State Floodplain Managers
10	GENERAL	Top Three Limitations As succinctly as possible, list the top three weaknesses or limitations that coastal planners or managers might encounter using this tool.	1) Map should not be used for site-specific decisions (supplement with direct field measurements of elevation), as wider-area analyses are more robust than point-by-point mapping; 2) Levee data are incomplete, and maps/analyses incorporating levees assume condition good and heights infinite; 3) No physical modeling of storm surge or waves on top of sea level rise.	1) Inundation scenarios do not include coastal storm surge, riverine flooding, erosion or other coastal processes; 2) Appropriate for use as a screening-level or planning tool allowing zoom in scale of approximately 1:18,055, but provides map services and data download for more in depth analysis. 3.) Includes fully enclosed federal levees as mapped by the USACE National Levee Database. Partially enclosed, regional, or local levees have been added in certain locations.	1) Cannot customize outputs or load additional local inputs directly into the tool; 2) Appropriate for use as a screening-level or planning tool allowing zoom in scale of approximately 1:18,055; 3) Changes or updates to source datasets will not be reflected in the tool until the next data update is completed	1) Inundation scenarios assume that topography stays static, and do not account for potential future erosion or accretion of the shoreline; 2) Inundation scenarios are not dynamic and do not account for the potential influence of runup, waves, or precipitation;	1) ONLINE-ONLY: No ability to access the tools with limited or lack of connectivity; 2) USER-FRIENDLINESS: Not catered to general public, so training is requirement to engage stakeholders so they can fully utilize the tool and understand the data and analyses; 3) COMMUNICATIONS: With so many tools ... now available on the web, it is hard to decipher the niche and therefore use of this tool relative to others that address similar issues
10	GENERAL	Point of Contact Please give a key contact for questions about the tool and its future development. Name and email address.	Dan Rizza: drizza@climatecentral.org	Adrianne Harrison: adrianne.harrison@noaa.gov or Jamie Carter: jamie.carter@noaa.gov	Russell Jackson: russell.jackson@noaa.gov	Peter Slovinsky: peter.a.slovinsky@maine.gov	Zach Ferdana: zferdana@tnc.org
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Base Sea Level Elevation Reference surface for which elevation is zero, such as mean higher high water. All other given elevations are computed as the height above this surface.	Mean Higher High Water (MHHW)	Mean Higher High Water (MHHW)	Mean Higher High Water (MHHW)	Highest Annual Tide (HAT)	Total Water Levels - Wave run-up + tides
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Flood/Inundation Controls Method inundation or water levels are changed by the user (e.g. slider bar, radio buttons)	Slider bar with inundation delineated in 1 foot increments from 1 - 10 feet. Toggle button to the right of the slider to view inundation ​risk from sea level rise, tides, storms, and tsunamis in meters: 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 5, 10, 20 & 30.	Slider bar with inundation delineated in 1 foot increments from 0 - 6 feet. Scenarios Tab includes ability to view SLR scenarios by scenario or by year and compare to inunation layers to view impacts.	Users selects individual coastal flood hazards or composite flood hazards.	Clickable buttons	Choice of Current, 2030, 2060, & 2100 projections with choice of Low, Medium & High Sea Level Rise Projection Scenarios for each time horizon and a combination of 3 potential wave climate changes (no change, 500 year wave event, or a doubling of El Nino frequency)
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Flood Layers Represented How are the inundation or flood level indicated on the map. Does the map use colors to show flooded areas?	Blue - inundation; Hatched - low-lying but isolated	Blue gradient - inundation depth; Green - low-lying areas	FEMA flood Zones (1%, 0.2%, V-Zones), Category 3 hurricane storm surge zones (SLOSH MOMs), sea level rise inundation (from NOAA Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer), shallow coastal flooding (from NOAA Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts Viewer), coastal flood hazard composite	TBD	Tidal inundation, wave impact, flood inundation, river flood inundation
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Uncertainty Represented Yes/No. Is uncertainty of the flood levels indicated on the map?	No for elevation, yes for projections	Yes	No	No	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Way Uncertainty Represented If uncertainty is represented as indicated in the field above, then how is it represented? Briefly describe.	Map does not represent uncertainty in elevation values. However, projection tool presents different sea level rise models and scenarios, and reflects uncertainty information as available for these.			N/A	see above
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Projects local sea level rise Yes/No. Includes localized (not just global) projections for the amount of sea level rise over time. Local projections must take into account regional and local factors such as sinking land.	Yes	Yes, Scenario and Marsh tabs provide local relative SLR scenarios	No	No	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Projects future flood elevations Yes/No. Includes projections for how high "standard" floods -- e.g. "1-in-100 year" floods -- will reach in the future, accounting for sea level rise and/or changing storms.	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Projects future flood risk at fixed elevations Yes/No. Includes projections for the future annual and/or cumulative risk of floods to fixed elevations -- e.g. 5 ft. above today's sea level -- accounting for sea level rise and/or changing storms.	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Projection time periods assessed Include all years/periods for which projections are made.	each decade 2020-2100	Yes out to 2100	No	No	Current, 2030, 2060, 2100
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Flood projections factor in changing frequency or intensity of storms Yes/No. Self-explanatory. Not applicable if flood projections not provided.	No	No	No	No	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Allows choice of projection scenarios/models Yes/No. Choice of emissions scenario or choice of sea level rise model such as NOAA's lowest, intermediate low, intermediate high, or highest sea level rise scenario; USACE lower, middle, or upper sea level rise projections; or the range of IPCC sea level projections.	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Shows levees Yes/No. Shows levees on map. Include source of levee information if possible.	Yes	Yes - Links to USACE NLD	No	If in LiDAR	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Factors in levees Yes/No. Factors levees into map and any analysis of vulnerable areas. Summarize methods if possible.	Yes	Yes, using FEMA base flood elevations.	Yes if they are captured in LIDAR based elevation data	If in LiDAR	Yes
20	SLR AND FLOOD SCENARIOS	Inundation Model Used Briefly and in as non-technical as possible, describe the modeling method used.	Modified bathtub approach, modeling hydrologic connectivity and locally adjusted Mean Higher High Water levels.	Modified bathtub approach, modeling hydraulic connectivity and locally adjusted Mean Higher High Water levels.	The various coastal flood hazard layers displayed are derived from different modeling methods. Refer to layer source information.	Bathtub approach using locally adjusted Highest Annual Tide levels. Visually-quality controlled hydraulic connectivity.	HEC-GeoRAS tool in ArcGIS outputs for river flooding , FEMA overtopping model used results projected against topographic surface composite
30	EXPOSURE ANALYSIS	Tabulates exposure within designated areas Yes/No. Gives total land, housing, etc. exposed at different flood or sea levels, within units such as cities or counties	Yes	no just overlay visualization of social and economic data	No	No	Can be queried using existing GIS tools
30	EXPOSURE ANALYSIS	Exposure types tabulated Variables analyzed, such as land, housing, property value, population, roads, airports or other infrastructure	>100 demographic, economic, environmental and infrastructure variables	No	No	No	No
30	EXPOSURE ANALYSIS	Designated areas for tabulation Geographic units within which exposure is tabulated, such as cities, counties, states or zip codes	zip codes, cities, counties, states, local through federal legislative districts, planning districts, state agency districts	No	No	No	User defined
30	EXPOSURE ANALYSIS	Shows or lists individual exposed facilities or public infrastructure Yes/No. Tool is able to give the user output that would allow them to evaluate potential vulnerable facilities and/or public infrastructure. Output could be either a map, or a report/listing.	Lists all facilities analyzed in tables for download. Shows select facilities and infrastructure on map.	No	Yes, through visualization overlays	No	Different data layers can be viewed with hazards to determine individual exposed facilities or public infrastrucuture
30	EXPOSURE ANALYSIS	Compares exposure across designated areas Yes/No. Includes display (e.g. heat map) showing how different areas compare (e.g. how do counties compare for exposure of housing)	Yes	No	No	No	No
40	SHORELINE PROCESSES	Other Flooding Scenarios Modeled Other than the model scenarios above, are there other flooding scenarios mapped? (i.e. specific storm scenarios, shallow coastal flooding, base flood elevations)	Fully integrated analysis of SLR projections with flood risk	Shallow (Nuisance) Coastal Flood Frequency	See all flood datasets listed above	specific sea level rise scenarios (1, 2, 3.3, and 6 ft) that correspond well with measured storm surge recurrence intervals.	Wave impact and river flood inundation
40	SHORELINE PROCESSES	Coastal Erosion Yes/No. Does the method used take coastal erosion processes into account?	No	No	No	No	Yes - acceleration of coastal erosion
40	SHORELINE PROCESSES	Sediment Dynamics/Deposition Yes/No. Does the method used take coastal sediment dynamics and deposition into account?	No	No	No	No	Yes - indirect accounting of coastal sediment budget, sediment yield from watersheds calcuated
40	SHORELINE PROCESSES	Storm Events Yes/No. Does the method used take the impacts of future storm events into account?	Fully integrated analysis of SLR projections with flood risk	No	No	Indirectly, yes.	Yes - wave impact, flood inundation and river flood inundation (large storm)
40	SHORELINE PROCESSES	Habitat/Species Change Yes/No. Does the method allow the user to visualize potential impacts to habitats and changes in species distribution?	No	No	No	Allows pinpointing of adjacent uplands which may become wetlands (below the highest annual tide)	No
40	SHORELINE PROCESSES	Marsh Migration Yes/No. Does the method allow the user to visualize the potential impacts to coastal marshes and how they may migrate with rising sea level?	No	Yes	No	Yes	Future scenarios analyzed using SLAMM for tidal influenced wetlands
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Basemap Options What types of base map(s) are used in the tool? (e.g. satellite imagery, topographic, streets, hybrid maps)	Satellite, Streets	Satellite, Open Streetmap, Dark	Satellite, grey canvas	Satellite, Streets, Terrain, Topograhic, Hydrographic, USGS National	Topographic, National Geographic, Ocean, Imagery, Physical, Shaded Relief, Streets, Terrain
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Main elevation data source Examples include LIDAR or National Elevation Dataset.	Lidar	Lidar	Lidar	Lidar	2009 – 2011 California Coastal Conservancy Coastal LiDAR Project Hydro-Flattened Bare Earth DEM
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Main elevation data source vertical accuracy Published error. Use maximum error, or accuracy standard, when different sub-datasets have different error.	(same as NOAA)	NOAA/USGS specs 9.25cm RMSE	NOAA/USGS specs 9.25cm RMSE	same as NOAA/USGS	(+/-) 9cm
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Horizontal resolution Dimension of elevation grid cell size.	5 Meters (~15 feet)	5 Meters (~15 feet)	Varies across datasets.	2 meters (~7 feet)	(+/-) 1 meter
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Other Available Data Layers Beyond the inundation/flooding layers, what other unique data layers are available?	On map: Social Vulnerability, Population Density, Ethnicity, Income, Property, Landmarks. In analysis and comparison tools: about 100 population and infrastructure variables.	Flood Frequency, Social and Economic Vulnerability at Census block groups, Marsh Impacts, Photo visualizations of key landmarks	Population density, poverty density, elderly density, employment density, projected population change, developed land cover, critical facilities, land cover changed to developed (1996-2011), natural areas and open space, potential pollution sources.	(On separate maps): Highest Annual Tide line, Potential Hurricane Inundation Maps (PHIMs), Marsh migration, FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Map status	Infrastructure, Land Use/Zoning, Natural Resources, Socieconomic data
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Place name searchable	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Maximum Zoom-in What is the farthest in a user can zoom in with the tool?	1:4,500	Tile cached data to 1:18,055	Tile cached data to 1:18,055	None	Tile cached data to 1:5,000
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Map Services Available Yes/No. Are the data layers in the tool available as map services that can be accessed by the public?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Data Download Available Yes/No. Are the data layers in the tool available for download by the public?	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	If data download available, please list types If answered yes for Data Download Available, please list the layers that are available for download.	Summary tables and detailed lists in Excel for 100+ demographic, economic, infrastructure and environmental variables, tabulated by state, county, municipality, zip code, planning and legislative districts, & more	Inundation, confidence, shallow coastal flooding, SOVI, and DEMs, and Marsh migration upon request		Inundation feature classes	Various
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Does tool use other map services? Yes/No. Does the tool consume other map services from other providers as a part of the tool? If so, which ones. (please specify)	No	Yes, ESRI Basemaps	Yes, ESRI Basemaps, Esri Population Change Projections 2012-2017	Yes, ESRI basemaps	FEMA, NOAA, USGS, UNISDR
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Additional Software Needed Yes/No. Does the user require additional software in order to use the tool?	No	No	No	No	No
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Cross Platform Yes/No. Is the tool platform and operating system independent? (i.e. can it operate on all computer platforms equally well)	Yes (modern browsers)	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
50	TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS	Mobile Compatible Yes/No. Will the tool operate on any mobile platform (e.g. iPad, iPhone, Android)?	On modern tablets/phones	Yes, but not phones	Yes	Yes	Yes
60	OTHER	Training Requirements Does the tool require training before it can be used efficiently?	None but support available as needed.	None	None	None	None but suggested
60	OTHER	Documentation, Training & Technical Resources Describe the types of documentation on tool methods and training resources available.	Research papers for each state, FAQs, methodologies, tutorials	FAQs, methodologies, and related technical documents; brief "First Time Tips" video; 56-minute recorded webinar, In-person or online training available upon request	FAQs, data documentation, new training link to the tool that includes a pre-recorded detailed demonstration	FAQs, metadata	Video tutorials for: General Navigation; Scenario Planning; video simulations for apps including Flood & Sea Level Rise, Coastal Defense and Risk Explorer. Metadata and methods documented and accessible within the tool. Associated website for FAQ and project information
60	OTHER	Is the tool based on, or featured in, any peer-reviewed publication(s)? If so, please list. (INCLUDE LINKS IF AVAILABLE) Please list the peer-reviewed publications that the tool, or underlying model, has discussed and/or featured the tool.	Based on Strauss et al 2012 and Tebaldi et al 2012, Environmental Research Letters. Featured in Wong-Parodi G, Fischhoff B, and Strauss BH (2014) Climatic Change, 1-9, Stephens et al 2014 Science Communication, and the Science of Science Communication II Sackler Colloquium PNAS 2014.	Marcy, et al., 2011. “New Mapping Tool and Techniques for Visualizing Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts.” In Proceedings of the 2011 Solutions to Coastal Disasters Conference, Anchorage, Alaska, June 26 to June 29, 2011, edited by Louise A. Wallendorf, Chris Jones, Lesley Ewing, and Bob Battalio, 474–90. Reston, VA: American Society of Civil Engineers.	None	Slovinsky and Dickson, 2006, "Impacts of Future Sea Level Rise on the Coastal Floodplain", http://www.seagrant.umaine.edu/files/chg/mgs-open-file-06-14.pdf Slovinsky and Dickson, 2009, "Assessment of LiDAR for SImulating Existing and Potential Future Marsh Conditions in Casco Bay", http://www.cascobayestuary.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2009_mgs_lidar_assessment_report.pdf	Yes, various publications listed here
60	OTHER	Costs Are there costs involved in using this tool? Does the user community bear any of the development cost directly?	None	None	None	None	Free of charge. Open source code for the tool framework and individual apps are available under a GNU General Public License, version 3 agreement at https://github.com/CoastalResilienceNetwork
60	OTHER	Are Future Versions Planned? Please describe if there are plans for future improvements to the tool.	Yes	Version 3.0 released in 2017	Future updates anticipated	Tentatively	Yes. Tool framework https://github.com/CoastalResilienceNetwork/GeositeFramework being upgraded on GitHub in 2015-2016 as well as individual browser-based apps (Coastal Resilience 3.0)