Project Background

This tool was developed by the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) to identify low-lying roads most vulnerable to climate-driven flooding hazards. It supports long-range transportation planning by helping prioritize which roads warrant further study, investment, or adaptation measures.

Data Sources

Vulnerability scores are derived from a multi-hazard assessment covering five flooding and inundation hazard types across five climate scenarios. Road segments were evaluated using the county's functional roadway network.

• High Tide Flooding — Tidal inundation under sea level rise scenarios
• Coastal Flooding — 100-year storm surge combined with sea level rise
• Groundwater Rise — Shallow groundwater emergence under future conditions
• Riverine & Inland Flooding — FEMA flood zone exposure and stormwater runoff
• Subsidence — Land surface subsidence from groundwater extraction

Climate Scenarios

Scenarios follow IPCC SSP pathways at mid-century (~2050) and late-century (~2100), representing moderate (SSP2-4.5) and high-emissions (SSP5-8.5) trajectories.

Contact

For questions about this tool or the underlying data, contact TAMC at tamcmonterey.org.

Overview

The dashboard ranks low-lying road segments by cumulative climate vulnerability and allows you to filter results by priority metrics relevant to transportation equity and community needs.

Step 1 — Select a Climate Scenario

Use the Climate Scenario dropdown to choose a time horizon and emissions pathway. The vulnerability scores and road rankings will update automatically.

Step 2 — Filter by Hazard Type

Toggle individual hazard types on or off using the Hazard checkboxes. Only active hazards contribute to the cumulative score shown in the table and map.

Step 3 — Apply Priority Filters

Select one or more Priority Metrics to narrow results to roads that serve specific community or transportation functions. Roads are ranked by how many of your selected metrics they match. In Individual mode, all 12 metrics are individually weighted with each assigned a value of 1. In Balanced mode, certain community metrics are combined so that transportation (5 points) and community (5 points) carry equal weight — Safe Routes to Schools Walking and Biking count as 1 combined point, and SB 535 Disadvantaged Communities and Caltrans Transportation Equity Index count as 1 combined point.

Step 4 — Explore the Map

The map highlights the top 20 or top 100 ranked roads (toggle using the buttons in the table header). Road color reflects vulnerability level — red indicates highest vulnerability. Click any highlighted road to see its full hazard breakdown.

Step 5 — Review the Table

The table lists the top 20 or top 100 roads in ranked order. The Vulnerability Breakdown bars show which hazard types contribute most to each road's score for the selected segment. Use the sort buttons on column headers to reorder by vulnerability score or priority metrics.

Tiebreaker Logic

When roads share the same cumulative score, they are ranked by: highest single hazard score → number of hazard types exposed → number of priority metrics matched → alphabetical name.