An Expansion of Rhode Island’s Statewide CHAMP Platform
Rhode Island CHAMP (Coastal Hazards, Analysis, Modeling & Prediction) is a hazard and impact prediction system developed by the University of Rhode Island to aid public decision-making and provide planners, emergency managers, and infrastructure operators with science-based, local-scale information about the consequences of hurricanes and nor’easters. CHAMP uses advanced storm modeling (including data about wind, waves, and storm surge) and connects those hazard results to aninfrastructure consequence database. Users access an ArcGIS online dashboard to see where storm conditions are likely to disrupt critical assets and services. In Rhode Island, the system is “operational statewide” in the sense that CHAMP methods, data collection, and decision products (dashboards and reports) is in use at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA), the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT), the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH), and municipalities to support both long-term planning and real-time storm operations and emergency response. This proven statewide system forms the backbone for a specialized expansion in the Town of Warren, designed to integrate inland flooding and community-specific assets into the platform.
Warren CHAMP Improvements to the system
Warren faces flooding from multiple interacting hazards—storm surge, rainfall-driven street flooding, riverine overflow, and sea level rise—that can overlap based on storm timing, tides, and rainfall intensity. The Warren CHAMP project builds on the existing statewide system and adds: driven street flooding, riverine overflow, and sea level rise—that can overlap based on storm timing, tides, and rainfall intensity, and exacerbate impacts. The Warren CHAMP project builds on the existing statewide system and adds:‑driven street flooding, riverine overflow, and sea level rise—that can overlap based on storm timing, tides, and rainfall intensity and exacerbate impacts. The Warren CHAMP project builds on the existing statewide system and adds:
- Advanced inland flooding models tailored to Warren’s watershed, neighborhoods, and transportation networks
- Community-specific consequence thresholds for public and private assets specific consequence thresholds for public and private assets‑specific consequence thresholds for public and private assets
- Compound flooding simulations that combine rainfall, river flows, storm surge, waves, and sea level rise
- An upgraded CHAMP dashboard customized for Warren
- Customized risk reports
- Training so users can apply CHAMP outputs in emergency planning and response
This expansion ensures that Warren benefits from statewide CHAMP while addressing Warren’s unique local flood risks.
As the statewide CHAMP system continues expanding its forecasting capabilities, Warren will be prepared to incorporate real-time storm modeling and impact prediction into its emergency operations. This project will lay the foundation for future expansion to enable local emergency managers to view predicted storm impacts to local assets in the days and hours leading up to a storm making landfall–and adapt their storm preparations accordingly.
Community Partnership & Engagement (add logos somewhere at bottom)
The Warren CHAMP project is built around local knowledge and collaboration. Stakeholder engagement will:
- Identify locally important assets and areas of concern
- Inform storm scenario selection
- Guide development of dashboard tools and communication needs
- Ensure accessible, practical results for planners, public works, emergency management, businesses, and residents.
This project is a collaboration of the University of Rhode Island and Rhode Island Sea Grant, [EB2] [AB3] and Warren HEZ with funding provided by the Rhode Island Department of Transportation through a Federal Highway Administration PROTECT (Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation Program) grant.
Get Involved
To learn more, contact Rhode Island Sea Grant Coastal Resilience Specialist, Eliza Berry (eliza.berry@uri.edu); Principle Investigator for the project, Austin Becker (abecker@uri.edu); or visit the CHAMP website at: https://champ.uri.edu/.