Business View Magazine | April 2019

112 planning process is to consider climate-related threats and hazards (such as fire from drought or flooding/landslides from heavy rain events) with a goal of becoming more resilient, or bet- ter prepared for them, through what is called “adaptive capacity.” City departments such as such as Public Works, the Asheville Fire De- partment, and Information Technology Services have been part of this research and planning process. NEMAC and City staff have been ana- lyzing possible impacts of extreme weather by modeling the city’s vulnerabilities — things like the location of steep slopes that could wash out in a flood, how much impervious surface it has that makes rainwater travel faster, and the percent of natural areas for habitat and conservation that are susceptible to wildfires during a drought. Following completion of a Climate Resiliency Assessment, the project will include an ini- tiative to promote preparedness to climate threats through communication, education, and awareness of the results of the climate resilience planning process. That informa- tion will help identify actions the City— and its residents and businesses/industries — can take to best prepare for these hazards and other future possible conditions. A team of City staff participated in workshops, facilitated by NEMAC, to identify key messages for public communication. These messages will highlight information and strategies the public can con- sider for building resilience on their properties and within their neighborhoods. The messages will be targeted towards specific public audi- ences, including neighborhoods and residents, residential properties, commercial properties, and industrial properties. The results of the staff workshops will then be used to develop a resource guide for the ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA