Flooding Isn’t a Seasonal Issue
If you live in District 4, you know flooding is an issue. Whether we have had heavy rain, there’s a King Tide, or, more recently, even when it hasn’t rained. This is a huge priority not only for my district, but for the entire island. We need better solutions.
Based on the City’s studies, its stormwater master plan lays out possible remedies, including improved outfalls, tide valves, stormwater storage, pumps, road elevation, and potentially seawall changes. While it’s reassuring that the research is done and solutions are identified, we now need to focus on how these solutions will be funded, what is preventing their implementation, and when these projects will begin.
Even if we start with tide valves, they will prevent water from being pushed back onto the island streets during high tide and ensure that once the water goes out, it stays out. The City currently has tide valve and stormwater work underway at 17 outfall locations, including several in District 4 alone, since this area has been identified as vulnerable. But we need to keep the momentum going because tide valves alone won’t solve sea level rise.
We need a long-term plan for roads, pumps, seawalls, and water/sewer infrastructure. We need to implement these plans by collaborating with experienced coastal engineers, hydrologists, universities, and state/federal agencies to ensure we have the most progressive plan in place.
Finally, when outside funds become available, such as FEMA, Resilient Florida, or federal infrastructure money, we should already have a plan for where that money should go, prioritizing the highest level of impact those funds can make.
Once elected, my goal would be to ensure these projects get the attention they need and to provide the transparency residents deserve. Each project should show a visible problem we are solving, the cost, where the funding comes from, the timeline to completion, and the results.