Juno Maps Wins International Competition to Pilot Flood Resilience Technology in Western Virginia

Juno Maps, a leading geospatial technology company, has been named a winner of the RISE Riverine Community Resilience Challenge II, an international competition focused on addressing growing flood risks in inland communities across western Virginia. The award recognizes Smart Site Plan, Juno Maps' cloud-based flagship platform designed to help local governments prepare for, respond to, and recover from flood events. This development matters because it represents a critical step in equipping vulnerable communities with practical tools to combat increasing flood threats, which have significant implications for public safety, infrastructure protection, and long-term economic stability in the region.

The platform allows municipal teams, regardless of technical background, to visualize flood risk, assess vulnerable infrastructure, and collaborate in real-time across departments. Dustin Rauch, President & CEO of Juno Maps, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership opportunity, stating the solution has potential to save lives and protect infrastructure while putting powerful data in the hands of those who need it most. As a Challenge winner, Juno Maps will pilot Smart Site Plan in multiple western Virginia municipalities to demonstrate how intuitive geospatial tools can support data-driven resilience planning in high-risk areas. Paul Robinson, Executive Director of RISE, emphasized the urgency of the solution, noting that it gives communities tools to see and understand flood risk before disaster strikes.

The competition, funded by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, supports scalable solutions that strengthen long-term recovery, improve local decision-making, and build resilience to freshwater flooding. RISE Resilience Innovations, the nonprofit organization behind the challenge, has awarded more than $8 million through its Innovation Challenge model to pilot cutting-edge technologies in real-world conditions. Additional information about the organization is available at https://www.riseresilience.org. Juno Maps was selected for its potential to deliver measurable, real-world impact in high-risk communities. The company builds intuitive, data-rich geospatial platforms that help cities, utilities, and organizations tackle challenges ranging from infrastructure planning to environmental risk. More details about the company's technology can be found at https://junomaps.com.

The implications of this announcement extend beyond technological implementation to fundamental shifts in how communities approach disaster preparedness. By providing accessible visualization tools to municipal teams with varying technical expertise, the solution addresses a critical gap in local government capacity. This matters because traditional flood risk assessment often requires specialized knowledge and resources that many smaller municipalities lack, leaving them vulnerable to catastrophic events. The pilot program's success could establish a model for other regions facing similar challenges, potentially influencing statewide or national resilience strategies. Furthermore, the collaboration between private technology companies, nonprofit organizations like RISE Resilience Innovations, and government agencies represents an innovative approach to solving complex environmental challenges through public-private partnerships.

For western Virginia communities specifically, this initiative offers practical benefits that could translate to reduced property damage, lower recovery costs, and improved emergency response coordination. The real-time collaboration features mean different departments—from public works to emergency management—can work from the same data during both planning and crisis situations. This integrated approach is crucial for effective resilience building, as fragmented information systems often hinder coordinated response efforts. The platform's implementation also has economic implications, as better flood preparedness can help maintain business continuity, protect critical infrastructure, and potentially lower insurance costs in vulnerable areas. Ultimately, this award represents more than just technological recognition—it signifies a strategic investment in community safety and sustainable development for regions increasingly affected by climate-related flooding events.