Multi-objective Assessment of Flood Adaptation Options in Los Angeles County

Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people and a $712 billion annual economy, faces flood risks 20 times greater than suggested by federally defined floodplains, and Black, Hispanic, and disadvantaged populations are disproportionately exposed to these risks. There is a need for transformative flood infrastructure that simultaneously reduces flood risk, captures more stormwater, restores impaired ecosystems, builds climate resilience across the region, and advances equity.

This project will simulate three flood adaptation approaches (raising levees, widening rivers with habitat restoration, and capturing additional stormwater with more green infrastructure and parks) and analyze the costs and benefits of each to provide actionable information to regional government. The project is led by Dr. Brett Sanders at the University of California, Irvine, in collaboration with Dr. Katharine Mach at the University of Miami, and is funded through the NOAA Effects of Sea Level Rise (ESLR) Program. Read More.

In 2024 and 2025, LARC will host a series of workshops to facilitate the co-creation of three county-wide flood risk adaptation strategies: (a) raising levees, (b) widening channels, and (c) capturing stormwater. Participants at LARC’s February 2024 network meeting provided feedback on the adaptation strategies. Two additional workshops will be held in the spring and summer of 2024 to review, refine, and evaluate the scenarios before preliminary results are presented in the fall of 2024. If you are interested in attending these workshop, please contact us.

Extreme Heat Campaign

Extreme heat is already a deadly threat in Los Angeles and we are likely to experience ten times as many heat waves by mid-century.

To address the increasing risk, LARC and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) partnered to create a coordinated social media campaign. In the summer of 2022 and 2023, in collaboration with dozens of local organizations and cities, we shared strategies to protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from extreme heat. Visit our campaign webpage to sign up to share content on your channels in 2024.

LARC: Heat Education, Ambassadors, and Training (LARC-HEAT)

In 2024, we will expand our heat campaign with funding from the Regional Resilience Grant Program, which is implemented by the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. In partnership with the Fernandeño Tataviam Band of Mission Indians, Rising Communities, and the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, we will continue our Extreme Heat Public Awareness Campaign and add a comprehensive Heat Ambassador initiative to engage and support community health workers in heat-vulnerable communities.

Clean Energy Education Campaign

Building on our success with the Extreme Heat Campaign, LARC will launch a Clean Energy Education Campaign to create and distribute content in the Los Angeles region to promote more sustainable energy usage. LARC used its April 2024 Network Meeting to gather input on the topics to ensure our materials are relevant to and will reach communities who most need access to energy programs. Potential topics include energy conservation, off-peak consumption, energy efficiency upgrades, utility assistance programs, clean energy jobs, and the health benefits of electrification. Visit our campaign webpage to signup to share content on your channels.