Boston's Mayor Michelle Wu has sealed a new deal to bolster the city against the tides of climate change. In a significant advance for emergency preparedness and coastal resilience, Wu announced that FloodMapp has been awarded the contract to provide real-time flood modelling services. According to a statement from boston.gov, this move is part of an overarching goal to mold Boston into a Green New Deal city, armor-plated against the whims of nature.
"Making Boston a Green New Deal city involves having the best means of preparing for, handling, and mitigating the long-lasting effects of climate change, including flooding," Mayor Wu expressed. With sights set firmly on adaptation and mitigation strategies, the city is not only addressing today's impacts but also adjusting to meet the climate's demands in the future. By intending to ward off frequent storms, extreme flooding, and rising sea levels, Boston's partnership with FloodMapp exemplifies the necessary forethought that positions the community ahead of the coming storm.
The contract with FloodMapp equips Boston's Office of Emergency Management with tools like ForeCast, NowCast, and PostCast products. These enhancements are expected to dramatically improve the city's operational response to flooding. "This tool will support the interagency coordination within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), improve operational preparedness, response, and recovery actions of individual City departments," Chief Shumeane Benford told boston.gov. Indeed, the envisioned integration stands as a testimony to proactive governance and public safety prioritization.
Juliette Murphy, CEO and Co-Founder of FloodMapp, shared her company's honor in partnering with a city characterized by innovative leadership. "We’re truly inspired by the city’s innovative leadership, and our team is excited to integrate FloodMapp ForeCast, NowCast, and PostCast into the Emergency Operations Center (EOC)," Murphy remarked. During and after a flood, these systems create real-time maps showing the current and predicted impacts, thus supporting safer evacuation planning, emergency responses, and relief efforts — a boon for a city getting its hands dirty addressing climate change's inevitable challenges.
This milestone is a part of the city’s comprehensive climate action plan, Climate Ready Boston, which maximizes engagement with federal authorities, such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to bolster storm management and vie for federal funds. Boston stands as a beacon for others in the realm of coastal resilience initiatives by showing a commitment to safety that, much like the turning of the tide, blends immediate action with strategic foresight.
