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Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program

The Southern Climate Impacts Planning Program (SCIPP) is a south central United States focused climate hazards and research program whose mission is to increase the region's resiliency and level of preparedness for weather extremes now and in the future. The area we serve includes the 6-state region of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

From severe storms, flooding, drought, hurricanes and storm surge, heat waves, wildfires, to severe winter storms, the South experiences among the nation's most extensive collection of climate-related hazards with many southern states ranking at or near the top of the lists in disaster declarations and billion dollar disasters.

The SCIPP team emphasis is on supporting the multi-hazard mitigation planning process through interactions with planners, emergency managers, city government, and other stakeholders. We also focus on the development of new information tools, education and outreach on weather and climate, and new research to better understand social vulnerabilities, hazard perceptions, extreme events, climate variability, and information needs.

While multi-hazard planning represents the primary focus of SCIPP, additional related areas of work include coastal planning, water resources, and climate adaptation.

As a member of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) program, SCIPP strives to continue the success of the RISA program in working with stakeholders and conducting critical, interdisciplinary research. SCIPP is a collaborative research program of the University of Oklahoma and Louisiana State University with combined expertise provided through the state climate offices of Oklahoma and Louisiana, the Southern Regional Climate Center, and a variety of partners throughout the region and beyond.