This project evaluated the vulnerability of North Carolina ferry system facilities across the state, both now and as climate change progresses. This will enable the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Ferry Division to plan for adaptation projects to ensure that the system
operates successfully into the future.
As NCDOT plans for future transportation system resilience, there is a need for statewide assessment of current and future vulnerability of each of the transportation modes. The NCDOT Resilience Strategy Report (2021) describes NCDOT’s short-term strategies for resilience, including to “address gaps in resilience planning and standards for ferry.” This was further described as a need to “assess ferry channels and conduct vulnerability and criticality assessments to address future impacts.” Having a ferry vulnerability assessment will allow for NCDOT to capture ferry adaptation needs in future updates to the Statewide Resilience Improvement Plan (2024).
The aims and scope of this study were to assess (a) the vulnerability of all of the Ferry Division’s infrastructure assets with respect to natural hazards (present and forecast to the 2040 and 2060 planning horizons); (b) the criticality of assets, terminals and routes; (c) community impacts; (d)
prioritize assets for adaptation measures where needed; and (e) provide recommendations on potential adaptation options as well as timeframes for implementation and comparative order of magnitude cost estimates.
