Florida is a low-lying state with more than 7,500 lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, 12,000 miles of rivers, streams, and canals, and more than 8,400 miles of shoreline. While these water bodies are a significant draw for residents and tourists alike, sea level rise and increased precipitation trends have created the perfect storm for severe flooding across the state. The Resilient Florida Program has been supporting communities since 2021 with funding resources to address impacts of flooding and sea level rise. Woodard & Curran has helped eight inland communities — Bushnell, Groveland, Labelle, Mascotte, Montverde, Newberry, Orange City, and Starke — secure a collective $1.44 million in grant funding to take the first step by conducting vulnerability assessments.
Identifying Risk and Consequence
Florida’s tidal range averages around 2 to 3 feet per day, and infrastructure was built along the coast based on this data. However, severe storms and hurricanes that cause storm surge very quickly cause significant damage. That impact has a ripple effect across the state because the storm surge combined with rainfall and a high groundwater table means water has no where to go.
Woodard & Curran’s experts start each vulnerability assessment with hydrologic modeling to determine where the water flows and what assets are at risk of being inundated. The critical assets included in the modeling are transportation and evacuation routes; critical infrastructure, community, and emergency facilities; and natural, historic and cultural resources. Our team creates models based on 100-year and 500-year storm events in the current year, and for the 2040 and 2070 planning horizons.
The data from the modeling provides the flood risk for each asset. This flood risk is then multiplied by the assigned consequence of failure to yield the sensitivity rating. The sensitivity ratings are grouped into one of five sensitivity classifications from minimal to extreme indicating the level of potential inaccessibility, inoperability, or permanent damage to the asset. Facilities such as emergency operation centers, fire stations, and hospitals have a higher consequence of failure rating compared to assets such as parks largely because of the potential impact to public health and safety.
Creating a Basis for Informed Decision Making
While community members could likely tell us which areas are commonly susceptible to flooding, the modeling and analysis that goes into creating a vulnerability assessment report helps municipal officials prioritize assets that are both at the highest risk of failure with the highest consequence if damage is incurred. The vulnerability assessment report provides officials with data to determine if improvements or relocation is necessary to reduce the risk of failure, while also providing a basis for capital planning and decision-making regarding infrastructure projects.
Furthermore, the vulnerability assessment and subsequent planning unlocks grant and loan funding from Resilient Florida Program and other state or federal initiatives. Having this work documented also helps communities be eligible for disaster relief funding if a severe weather event occurs before prioritized infrastructure improvements can take place.
Woodard & Curran’s current partnership with Florida communities conducting vulnerability assessments and planning for resiliency is like work we have done in other regions of the country. While not many states have initiatives such as the Resilient Florida Program, our funding team and stormwater and flood management experts have their pulse on opportunities across the country and view the vulnerability assessment work as a critical path toward sustainable infrastructure as weather patterns continue to change.
