Investigate Options

Consider what might be done to reduce your risk and protect your most vulnerable assets.

Consult the Toolkit's Options Database and Case Studies to learn what other communities have done. Compile an extensive list of options that could reduce negative impacts, and then narrow your list to the actions that are feasible.

Read Full Summary

Funding & Building Capacity

Investigate Options

Gather a list of strategies that could reduce risk

Begin this step by thinking expansively: you'll want to list as many ideas as possible that could reduce your current vulnerabilities and risk. Though some community members may already have a favored solution in mind, resist the temptation to focus on just one or a few options.

The longer and more diverse your pool of suggestions, the more likely you are to identify a response that can solve your most pressing issues and offer additional co-benefits.

Consider solutions gathered from published climate resilience plans

Gather a list of strategies from the Toolkit's Options Database.

Select the Hazard and Asset that best describe your situation, then copy the list of strategies coded to that pair. Recognizing that multiple categories of options exist—from educating the public through civil engineering projects—can expand your ideas about what could be done to reduce risk.

Explore case studies and examples of published climate adaptation plans

From the Toolkit's main navigation, click Case Studies and Browse all, or select a hazard or asset of interest. Use filters on the left of the Case Studies page to further refine your choices.

Results will include case studies and published climate resilience plans with accounts of how others have responded when they faced a situation similar to yours. Consider if some part of their response is a possible option or strategy for your effort.

Analyze past events to reveal potential solutions

Work backwards from a previous weather- or climate-related disaster in your community or a negative impact in your region. Consider the previous conditions and what happened at every step as the event unfolded. Look for points in the process when an intervention might have improved the outcome.

Consider the potential negative impacts you've described, and follow a similar process to identify actions that could be effective in preventing future damage.

Explore tools in this Toolkit that tagged to the Investigate Options step. Use filters on the left to focus on specific regions, assets, or hazards.

Learn more about what to do before, during and after a disaster at Ready.gov.

View Ready.gov's Risk Mitigation page

Visit Ready.gov's Business Toolkits page, to see tips for preparing for various hazards

Greater sage-grouse surveys in southwestern Idaho

Decide which of your options are feasible

Think through each of your options. Project yourselves forward in time and imagine that the solution has been implemented. Would having this option in place have improved the outcome of past events? Will the option be robust enough to handle hazards projected for the future?

Examine the potential consequences from as many viewpoints as possible, looking especially for any unintended consequences the solution might bring about.

Categorize each option as feasible, potentially feasible, or not feasible.

In some cases, an option may seem like a great solution, but if your group has no way to implement it, or if the cost would exceed your budget by a substantial amount, it cannot be considered feasible.

For options that you like but can't afford, look for creative or innovative solutions such as approaching other groups, or bundling the option with other plans could make it feasible in the future.

Review your goals

Consider all that you’ve learned and acknowledge the most pressing issues your efforts have uncovered. Take the time to reassess your goals and decide if you need to refine them.

With a sense of the risk to various assets and a list of possible solutions in hand, ask yourselves if the planned scope of your project is still appropriate. Hold an open conversation to take stock of your current effort.

Knowing what you now know, does your effort need to be reframed?

Do you have the right team members with the right skills and connections to address the issues you're facing?

Are team members still committed to the evolving project, or are some eager to form subgroups that focus more narrowly on their own issues? If sub-groups spin off of your effort, stay in touch with them to avoid taking actions that would counter their actions or result in maladaptation.

As necessary, adjust your expectations and refine your goals. Encourage team members to re-commit to the evolving project. As necessary, invite new team members to contribute to your redefined effort.