This week, the Center for American Progress, in anticipation of the coming anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, released a report highlighting the work of 50 “Storm-Ready Cities” across the country. Storm-Ready Cities are those that have taken steps to plan for and adapt to increasingly frequent extreme weather. At the League, we were pleased to see that the Center recognized two of our member communities, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, for their leadership and vision. Congratulations to the leaders of those two cities!

However, the list of communities in Michigan that are tackling this important issue does not start and end there. A growing number of other local governments are taking the steps necessary to become Storm-Ready. For example, the City of Marquette and the Southwest Michigan Planning Commission have each recently developed climate adaptation plans with the assistance of MSU Extension and the UM Graham Sustainability Institute. The City of Monroe is working with its neighboring townships and LIAA to integrate resilience into its master plan. And the City of Flint is tackling climate adaptation as part of its new Imagine Flint process.

The League is cosponsoring a conference February 25 & 26 at the University of Michigan-Flint that will showcase the work of these communities and others. To be notified when registration is open for that conference and to learn more about the resources available on this topic, join the Michigan Green Communities network.