Seattle Assessment of Public Health Preparedness and Response (SASPER): Duwamish Valley pilot project

Awarded Project Overview

April 2022

About the Project:

Climate change doesn’t affect everyone equally. Communities of color, low-income populations, and Indigenous peoples often bear the brunt of its impacts. In Seattle’s Duwamish Valley, home to the neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown, residents are already experiencing more frequent and severe flooding. The area is also expected to be among the hardest hit by sea level rise in the city. To address these challenges, the City of Seattle, alongside local partners, is establishing the Duwamish Valley Resilience District (DVRD) to center environmental justice and racial equity in climate adaptation efforts.

This project, called the Seattle Assessment of Public Health Emergency Response (SASPER), will work with the DVRD and be co-developed by the Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) , a community based nonprofit with a focus on climate justice and community empowerment, to assess the needs of Duwamish Valley residents and ensure their voices guide the city’s resilience planning. Using a door-to-door survey approach, the team will gather data on how climate change is impacting households, what resources are needed, and how to improve communication between residents and agencies. The goal is to empower the community to actively shape their future and build resilience tailored to their unique needs.

Goals:

Assess household- and community-level knowledge, resources, and needs related to climate change impacts.
Identify disparities in access to information and resources across different demographic groups.
Document the health impacts of climate change on Duwamish Valley residents and gather their input on resilience strategies.
Develop a tool for rapid community needs assessments that can be used during and after climate-related disasters.
Create pathways for Duwamish Valley residents to actively participate in climate adaptation planning.

Approach:

The project will use the CDC’s Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) methodology, adapted to focus on climate resilience. A team of researchers, public health professionals, and community members will conduct door-to-door surveys, host focus groups, and collect street-level imagery to document current conditions and flooding impacts. The Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC) will lead outreach efforts, ensuring the process is culturally responsive and inclusive. The team will also create a digital story map to visually share the community’s stories, challenges, and proposed solutions.

Research Focus:

Documenting the health and social impacts of climate change on Duwamish Valley residents.
Assessing gaps in knowledge, resources, and support for climate resilience.
Exploring how demographic factors like race, ethnicity, and language affect access to information and resources.
Developing a rapid assessment tool for post-disaster needs that can be used in other communities.
Integrating community stories and data into a visual story map to guide resilience planning.

Why It Matters:

The Duwamish Valley is a frontline community that disproportionately and unjustly experiences the city’s worst climate change impacts. Residents face higher exposure to pollution, health disparities, and economic challenges—issues made worse by the area’s severe flooding, which is intensifying as the Duwamish Valley becomes the part of Seattle hardest hit by sea level rise. By centering the voices of those most affected, this project ensures that climate adaptation efforts are equitable and effective. It also creates a model for other communities facing similar challenges, showing how to combine scientific data with community knowledge to build resilience.

Activities:

Conduct focus groups with Duwamish Valley residents to identify key concerns and priorities.
Develop and implement a door-to-door survey to assess household needs and resources.
Train community members and students to conduct surveys and collect data.
Use street-level imagery to document current conditions and flooding impacts.
Host a community debriefing session to gather feedback and refine findings.

Expected Outcomes:

A detailed report on the climate-related needs and priorities of Duwamish Valley residents.
A set of community-driven solutions to improve resilience and preparedness.
A rapid assessment tool for post-disaster needs that can be used in other communities.
A digital story map that combines data, images, and community stories to guide resilience planning.
Strengthened partnerships between residents, local agencies, and researchers.

The team will share findings through:

A community report-back event to present results and gather feedback.
Fact sheets and presentations distributed through local networks, DRCC’s website, and social media. Summary fact sheets will be provided in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Khmer, and Somali, at a minimum.
A digital story map to share the community’s stories and proposed solutions.
A research protocol and standard operating guidelines for public health agencies to use in future disasters.
Scholarly articles and media pieces co-authored by community and academic partners.

View project website here

Research Team:

Principal Investigator: Nicole Errett, Co-Director, Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilience; Community Engagement Core Director, Interdisciplinary Center for Exposures, Diseases, Genomics, and Environment (EDGE Center)
Community Lead: Alberto Rodriguez, Duwamish Valley Advisor, Office of Sustainability and Environment, City of Seattle
Student: Sam Lovell, Masters of Public Health, Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences

University of Washington Partners:
Pam Kohler, Co-Director, Center for Global Health Nursing: pkohler2@uw.edu
Ann Bostrom, Weyerhauser Endowed Professor of Environmental Policy, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance
Tania Bush-Isacksen, Co-Director, Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilience
Jeffery Berman, Operations Director, NHERI Natural Hazards Reconnaissance (RAPID) Facility, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
BJ Cummings, Community Engagement Manager, EDGE Center
Lisa Hayward, Community Engagement Co-Manager, EDGE Center

Community Partners:
Paulina Lopez, Executive Director, Duwamish River Community Coalition (DRCC)
Carmen Martinez, Duwamish Valley Youth Corps Manager, DRCC
Amy Schnall, Disaster Epidemiology & Response Team (DERT), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Jamie Vickery, Research Scientist, Collaborative on Extreme Event Resilience; Disaster Research Response (DR2) Community Engagement Program Manager, EDGE Center
Resham Patel, Organizational Preparedness & Evaluation Manager, Public Health – Seattle & King County
Bradley Kramer, Climate Team Program Manager, Public Health – Seattle & King County
Erika Estrada, Community Preparedness and Recovery Coordinator, Washington State Department of Health