This paper examines the opportunities and challenges that place-based informal governance networks encounter in supporting coastal communities facing climate-related hazards and their impacts. Coastal communities in the eastern US are enduring increasing impacts from hazards related to climate change, such as tropical cyclones, unprecedented winter storms, and sea level rise. While federal and state-agencies provide funding to address some of these impacts, community members are often left without government support if their losses or the hazards themselves fall outside of government defined thresholds and descriptors. This paper examines the informal networks that have emerged following climate-related storm events in three coastal communities: Biloxi, MS; Bath, ME; and Rockland, ME. Through analysis of semi-structured interviews with community leaders (e.g., representatives of non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, municipal-level civil servants, etc.), participant observation at community meetings, and document collection of local media coverage, it reveals how informal processes of resource and service provision emerged. Findings demonstrate challenges that these networks encounter in meeting the diverse needs of community members, particularly those that have been historically marginalized (e.g., immigrant community members). Yet, these emergent networks also present unique opportunities for enhancing support, such as their flexibility, long-standing community relationships, and capacity to access information and respond to needs swiftly. This research highlights the critical roles that informal, often under-resourced, networks play in addressing coastal community impacts from climate hazards.
