Climate Resilience
Climate change is here, and we are feeling its effects with hotter summers and warmer winters. Seattle faces severe climate impacts like flooding, extreme heat, and wildfire smoke.
While we work to reduce the emissions that cause climate change in the long term, we are also preparing communities for the climate impacts they are already experiencing. Supporting frontline communities is a critical part of Seattle’s climate resilience strategy.
Frontline communities feel climate change impacts first and worst, not only during extreme weather events, but also daily. Frontline communities include groups who experience disproportionate burdens from climate events: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, low-income people, elders, youth, people with disabilities, outdoor workers, undocumented people, and people in certain geographic neighborhoods with higher exposure to hazards.
How Do We Define Resilience?
We use a definition for climate resilience adapted from the 2018 Duwamish Valley Action Plan: Resilience is a community’s ability to use their assets to improve the health of individuals, organizations, and businesses. It is the ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from adversity.
The City of Seattle approaches resilience investments, strategies, and partnerships according to three pillars of community climate resilience:
1. Strong Connected Communities
Center relationships, social networks, and social cohesion as core components of climate resilience.
2. Effective Coordination
Support coordinated implementation of strategies within the City of Seattle and in partnership with community organizations and regional partners.
3. Resilient Community Spaces
Invest in the design and features of public and private community spaces to improve daily function and provide relief before, during, and after extreme weather events.
How is Climate Change Impacting Seattle?
Climate change impacts and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and are harming certain neighborhoods and communities more. For example:
Intense wildfire smoke in September of 2020 created a “supermassive plume” that caused every air quality monitor in the state to register harmful levels of particulate matter pollution – with conditions lasting a week before finally clearing in Seattle. Poor air quality more severely affects many people with pre-existing health conditions, such as asthma, as well as young and elderly people.
The 2021 Heat Dome event was the deadliest climate disaster in Washington state, with 34 deaths in King County. Seattle reached its all-time hottest day on record, 108 degrees, during this event. The heat dome was particularly dangerous for people who live and work outdoors and the elderly.
In December 2022, a King Tide flood event resulted in the highest recorded flood in over 30 years. Areas like Georgetown, South Park, and Rainier Valley have more impervious surface coverage, like concrete and asphalt roads, which increases the risk of flooding.
Community-led Climate Resilience
We’re investing in climate resilience at different scales, from hyperlocal neighbor groups to citywide initiatives. Examples below demonstrate community-led resilience initiatives that have received support from the City and demonstrate the three resilience pillars: strong connected communities, resilient community spaces, and effective coordination.
Climate Ready Curriculum
The Climate Ready Curriculum was co-created with community-based groups and organizations to support community climate resilience by providing educational resources on how to prepare yourself and your community for Seattle-specific climate hazards.
Juneau St. Resilience Pod
The Juneau St. Resilience Pod is a climate preparedness group in south Beacon Hill. The group builds community cohesion, shares information and resources, and provides technical assistance to prepare neighbors for climate change.
Mini Mart City Park
Mini Mart City Park is a community gathering space and resilience hub serving Georgetown, South Park, and the Greater Duwamish Valley. It is an art gallery and community gathering space that provides cultural events and programming.
Lake City Collective
Lake City Collective is a trusted community organization in north Seattle that provides resources and community connections for the Latinx community. They are in the process of developing a new building, the future Little Brook Multicultural Center.
Duwamish River Community Coalition
The Duwamish River Community Coalition is a community-based organization in South Park that focuses on environmental justice in the Duwamish Valley. They work closely with local government on issues of water and air quality, sea level rise, and other issues affecting the frontline communities they serve.