Weathering the Storm: Towards Local Climate Resilience in the Monadnock Region

This past summer, many areas in the Monadnock Region experienced severe flooding due to heavy rainfall. Over recent decades, extreme precipitation has become more common, a trend that is expected to continue in the years to come. Other forms of severe weather are also becoming “the new normal,” including heat waves and seasonal drought. Snowfall is decreasing and seasonal cycles are shifting, stressing both local ecosystems and economic sectors (e.g., agriculture, tourism).

What can we at the local level do to adapt to these changes? How do we better prepare for the storms of the future while doing our part to address the root problem: greenhouse gas emissions? How should extreme weather inform local discussions and decisions about land use, infrastructure, transportation, housing, public safety, among other community planning issues?

Please join Southwest Region Planning Commission for a public conversation about this critical subject. You’ll hear from Dr. Eshan Dave from the UNH Center for Infrastructure Resilience to Climate (CIRC) who will provide a high-level overview of tools and strategies that communities can use to plan for a changing climate and associated severe weather. You’ll also hear how several Monadnock Region communities are already taking proactive steps to become more resilient in the face of a changing climate.