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Universities present RAFT resilience assessment to York County supervisors; county scores 91 of 113
Summary
A university-led team presented results of the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) to York County supervisors at the first August work session, reporting York County scored 91 out of 113 and recommending near-term actions including adopting NOAA sea-level projections and pursuing a Community Rating System improvement.
At the York County Board of Supervisors’ first August work session, a multi‑university team presented the Resilience Adaptation Feasibility Tool (RAFT) assessment for the Historic Triangle region, reporting that York County scored 91 out of a possible 113 points on the RAFT scorecard.
The presentation was led by Jessica Whitehead, executive director of the Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience at Old Dominion University, with Elizabeth Andrews (University of Virginia) and Wendy Stout (Virginia Tech) describing the scorecard methodology, qualitative outreach and recommended next steps. County staff and the consultants said York County scored higher than the other RAFT localities in this round (Williamsburg and James City County), with particularly strong results in risk assessment and emergency management and in community engagement, health and well‑being.
The RAFT process combines a quantitative scorecard (reviewing plans, ordinances and policies) with a concurrent qualitative assessment informed by focus groups, interviews and a survey. Andrews said the team reviewed the county comprehensive plan, the regional hazard mitigation plan and capital improvement plans, and collected more than 50 responses representing about 25 organizations for the qualitative work.
Why it matters: presenters said RAFT is intended to move jurisdictions beyond a static grade by identifying implementable “opportunities” that local leaders and staff can advance over a 12‑month implementation period. For York County the RAFT team and staff identified a short list of priority actions that could be advanced within a year.
Key findings and near‑term opportunities detailed to the board include: - York County total RAFT score: 91 out of 113. Presenters cautioned the score is intended as a baseline for prioritizing actions, not a final judgment. - Highest scoring categories: risk assessment & emergency management; community engagement, health & well‑being. - Staff‑identified top near‑term opportunities: adopt NOAA sea‑level rise projections and incorporate them into county flood‑resilience planning; pursue a Community Rating System (CRS) improvement (staff highlighted a priority to move from CRS class 7 to class 6); align the capital improvement program (CIP) with resilience and preservation priorities. - Other recommended actions: conduct a business impact assessment for hazard recovery priorities; use stormwater and park projects to advance green infrastructure and nature‑based solutions; adopt policy statements clarifying roles for residents and businesses in resilience; expand community engagement with youth, elders and service providers.
Presenters also described the RAFT implementation structure: a regional workshop is scheduled for Aug. 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the James City County Recreation Center to convene representatives from York County, Williamsburg and James City County. Workshop organizers said childcare and refreshments will be provided and attendees are asked to register. The presenter team said that, following the workshop, a 12‑month implementation period will begin with monthly implementation‑team meetings involving county staff and university partners.
Funding and support: the presenters said the current RAFT work is funded through the NOAA Coastal Zone Management Program via the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) and by the Virginia Environmental Endowment. The team also described a “faculty roster” to match university expertise to locality needs as in‑kind support during implementation.
Board discussion and staff direction: supervisors asked clarifying questions about how RAFT defines resilience (presenters said RAFT considers social, economic and environmental resilience), how scores are derived (a yes/no presence‑based rubric applied to plans and programs plus interview data), and why some localities score lower (presenters said some jurisdictions have resilience activities that are not documented in plans, which lowers scorecard points). County staff and presenters agreed to circulate the RAFT materials to the board’s correspondence packet.
Next steps: the RAFT team will hold the Aug. 18 workshop and begin the year‑long implementation process with participating localities; staff indicated they will discuss outreach strategies to maximize York County public participation in the regional workshop.
