Reinforcing our AT&T network against extreme weather is critical for all the people who rely on the connectivity we provide, but we know that resiliency cannot be built in a vacuum.
Extreme weather events, from flooding to intense heat waves, are becoming the norm. Nationally, 2023 set a record with 28 separate weather and climate disasters that caused losses of $1 billion each. By July, 2024 was setting the pace with 15 confirmed $1 billion disasters.
Climate resilience must be an all-hands-on-deck effort, bringing together government, business, public safety, nonprofits and the public.
In central New York, this all-hands-on-deck mindset resulted in a pair of unique collaborations. Albany County and Onondaga County were among the pilot participants in AT&T’s Climate Resilient Communities Initiative (CRCI), a no-cost effort that supplied both sophisticated climate data and resilience experts to analyze it. Albany and Onondaga Counties were two of only a few areas nationwide to participate in the CRCI. Communities in Colorado and Kentucky also participated.
For years, AT&T has utilized internal experts and tools to collect and analyze climate data projections, which help make decisions about equipment placement and hardening efforts. Recently, the company worked with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory and FEMA to share these cutting-edge climate projections via a free, publicly available online tool called ClimRR – the Climate Risk and Resilience Portal.
ClimRR features over 60 climate variables and provides dynamically downscaled projections for locations across the United States. The tool lets users visualize and analyze future climate hazards like extreme heat, heavy rainfall, wildfire and more, and layers them over local demographic and infrastructure data. Community and public safety leaders can use ClimRR to understand future climate risks and identify the populations and neighborhoods most vulnerable.
The Climate Resilient Communities Initiative (CRCI) takes ClimRR several steps further. The free initiative provided Albany and Onondaga each with training and a localized ClimRR analysis, produced in conjunction with non-profit organization Project IN-CORE, that outlines potential future hazards facing their regions. This was customized based on what the county identified as priority hazards.
The CRCI analysis includes map visualizations and projected climate risks and mitigation recommendations. Emergency managers can combine data about climate risks with information about community-specific demographics and infrastructure data to implement tailored solutions that mitigate climate threats to their community.
The final Albany County report can be found here.
The final Onondaga County report can be found here.
The CRCI analysis found that Albany County is projected to see higher levels of precipitation in the future. Combined with changes in temperature, more precipitation could lead to a higher likelihood of things like flooding, winter storms and landslides. During the winter, increases in precipitation can lead to more intense and frequent winter storms, elevating winter maintenance costs. Predicted higher winter temperatures can change the freeze-thaw cycle and amplify flood risk.
The CRCI analysis found that Onondaga County is projected to see more periods of extreme summer heat, more rainfall and related flooding in the coming decades. Those living in rural areas, under the poverty level or aging populations are more at risk of experiencing negative impacts. With more rainfall and extreme heat comes a higher risk of more intense and longer-lasting algal blooms resulting from runoff. Already a concern for the county, mechanisms are in place to monitor sediment and limit fertilizer runoff where possible.
The information can be used to anticipate environmental hazards, develop plans and mitigation actions. Data can also be utilized to fulfill FEMA requirements and documentation.
In addition to its work with the Counties, AT&T has collaborated with two local nonprofits to support local environmental education and land preservation efforts. AT&T donated $41,000 to Friends of Five Rivers in Delmar and $62,000 to the Onondaga Earth Corps in Syracuse. We will be working with the organizations in the coming months to develop programming for Spring 2025.
We’re grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Albany County and Onondaga County and put this data to use locally, helping to prepare and fortify New York communities in an equitable, sustainable way.
Read more about Albany County’s work with ClimRR in this OpEd in the Albany Times Union.
