Join Cait Plantaric for an engaging discussion on how public policy and legal decisions have shaped flood risk across the United States and why meaningful community engagement is essential to building more resilient communities.
Flood vulnerability is not distributed equally, and the reasons often extend far beyond geography. More than a century of policies related to housing, land use, and community development continue to influence which neighborhoods face the greatest risks today.
We will explore some of the historical and policy factors that have contributed to inequitable flood risk and examine how those impacts continue to shape planning and infrastructure decisions. The goal is to help participants gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between historic public policy, flood equity, and community resilience, along with practical insights for fostering authentic community engagement. By recognizing and responding to these connections, professionals can help create stronger projects that better serve and are supported by the communities they impact.
About Our Speaker:
Cait Plantaric, Underrepresented Communities Coordinator & Equity Lead for Flood Management at the California Department of Water Resources, holds a master's degree in English and has taught writing at California State University, Sacramento. She has worked in flood management and emergency response for 20 years. During this time, she has developed a keen interest in California’s flood history and the impacts of flooding on underrepresented communities.
Currently, her work is focused on improving equity related to community resilience. She is leading the team developing the flood-centric social vulnerability index (flood-SVI) for the 2027 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan update. She has presented on flood related topics to a wide variety of audiences – from engineers and environmental scientists to planners, community engagement specialists and elementary school students, including presentations related to flood risk, equity and public policy.
She created and leads the California Department of Water Resources’ “Flood History & Equity Walking Tour” class.
Registration
Registration is not open for this event yet. We will announce when registration opens closer to the event date, so please be sure to check back soon for updates.