The impacts of a changing climate will be experienced differently by residents across Cuyahoga County, influenced by factors such as income, age, health, and where they live. Below is an interactive Vulnerability Assessment Map tool that layers physical and social factors to identify areas in the county where populations are most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
For help, please review the map’s welcome screen and/or select the help button in the upper left corner of the map.
Physical factors identify the expected intensity of climate change impacts across the county. These include:
- Heat Island Effect
- Flood Plain
- Older Residential Buildings
- Impervious Cover
- Lack of Tree Canopy
Social factors identify certain socio-economic indicators that would make an individual & community more vulnerable to climate change impacts. These include:
- Population Under Age 5
- Population Aged 65 and Over
- Population Below Poverty
- Minority Population
- Households Without a Vehicle
- Rental Housing
- Population Lacking High School Diploma
- Persons with Disability
The concept for this map was developed from on efforts from The City of Cleveland, Cleveland Neighborhood Progress, and the University at Buffalo to identify climate and social vulnerabilities in Cleveland. The team is currently completing a full Climate Hazard and Social Vulnerability Assessment; a final version is forthcoming. For Cuyahoga County’s climate action planning purposes, we hope to use both our interactive map and the City of Cleveland’s forthcoming report to aid in identifying and prioritizing areas for climate adaptation planning across the county.