The Northeast Florida Regional Council (NEFRC) and five other regional planning councils in Florida will soon receive $1.49 million from the state to develop a cohesive statewide approach to flood planning.
The three-year project will provide a framework for municipalities across the state to create disaster models, prepare actionable strategies and determine how to prioritize and fund mitigation projects.
The funding is part of nearly $20 million in community development block grant mitigation planning dollars awarded by the state Department of Economic Opportunity to 37 municipalities, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.
The regional planning councils will share information and build templates for municipalities around the state to use in developing mapping, models and mitigation plans to address flooding challenges in their respective areas.
“This will be a highly impactful project in helping to make Florida more resilient to flooding,” said Beth Payne, the NEFRC’s chief executive officer. “With so much of our region vulnerable to the effects of sea level rise and coastal flooding, the NEFRC has been focused on resiliency for years. This project is designed to help counties not just in our region but around the state, including inland areas where major rain events cause serious problems.”
The Northeast Florida Regional Council will take the lead on organizing data. The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council will take the lead on the technical work related to the project, and the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council will act as project manager.
The work will also involve assistance from the state’s other regional planning councils.
“The resiliency of the state of Florida remains a top priority for my administration as we approach the two-year anniversary of my executive order to achieve more now for Florida’s environment,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “I’m pleased to build on our environmental achievements with this first-of-its-kind mitigation program that will provide Florida’s communities the opportunity to become more resilient to future storms.”
Through Rebuild Florida, local governments and municipalities have access to resources necessary to bolster their community’s resiliency to future disasters. For more information, go to RebuildFlorida.gov.
