Team Activities
Florida Basin-Level Flood Assessment Inventory
The State of Florida has established the Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation (Flood Hub) at the University of South Florida as a center for flood data and the premier thought leader on flooding research helping Florida prepare for the future. The Flood Hub will be a one stop-shop for all levels of government that want to incorporate flood planning for smarter infrastructure and policies that reflect Florida's risks using best flood research, digital modeling, and data. Through an Interagency Nonstructural Flood Risk Management project, a dashboard compiling flood modeling across the state has been developed and will continue to be updated by the Flood Hub as new models are completed. Compilation of all existing models also allowed the interagency team to identify gaps in model coverage and recommend resourcing model development for priority areas in Florida most vulnerable to flood events.
Link to Florida Statewide Flood Model Inventory Dashboard:
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/79be37ecd82a4f5d928605a9e82f1e07/
Utilizing the Community Rating System in Florida
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System (CRS) recognizes, encourages, and rewards community and state activities that go beyond the minimum requirements by the NFIP. CRS is a voluntary program that provides reductions in flood insurance premiums by 5 percent up to a maximum of 45 percent for policy holders with insurable property in flood zones located within CRS communities.
The counties of Leon and Wakulla and the municipalities of the City of Tallahassee and City of St. Marks worked together to create a committee for the Florida Big Bend Program for Public Involvement (PPI) through an Interagency Nonstructural Flood Risk Management project. This PPI, now adopted by all parties involved, documents and details ongoing local efforts to identify, prepare, implement, and monitor a range of public information activities that meet specific local needs.
The products from this project include a template PPI, necessary forms, and instructions for completion so that other smaller counties and municipalities throughout the country can introduce a PPI and utilize it in their CRS mission.
Developing a CRS Program for Public Information: CRS instructions (pdf, 133 KB)
CRS Program for Public Information, Step 1 Form: Establish a Committee on Public Information (pdf, 930 KB)
CRS Program for Public Information, Step 2 Form: Assess the Community's Public Information Needs (pdf, 520 KB)
CRS Program for Public Information, Step 2.2 Form: Preparing a Flood Insurance Assessment (pdf, 1.36 MB)
CRS Program for Public Information, Step 3 Form: Formulate messages (pdf, 454 KB)
CRS Program for Public Information, Step 4 Form: Identify outreach projects to convey the messages (pdf, 433 KB)
Community Rating System Program for Public Information Template (pdf, 472 KB)
Incorporating Corals Into Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
Coral reefs are widely known for their biological diversity and function of providing habitat to numerous aquatic organisms and positive economic impacts from tourism and fisheries to coastal communities. Additionally, coral reefs and hybrid reefs provide opportunities to reduce coastal community flooding by reducing wave energy and storm surge inundation.
Recognizing flood risk reduction capabilities by coral reefs, the U.S. Coral Reef Task published the Coral Reef Restoration for Risk Reduction (CR4) guide detailing mechanisms for funding such as the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and coral restoration project considerations in the US states and territories. The State of Florida has activities focused on protecting and restoring its coral reefs through the Coral Reef Conservation Program. To complement this state program and meld the CR4 to Florida’s reefs and coastal communities, the Florida Silver Jackets team developed key steps, funding avenues, and critical information sources available to support CR4 projects in Florida.
Navigating Hybrid Reefs for Coral Reef Restoration and Coastal Protection in Florida: Project Guidance Using the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) (pdf, 5.2 MB)
Astor H&H Study
Analysis of flood management opportunities was completed for the unincorporated area of Astor in Lake County, FL. A hydraulic and hydrologic preliminary modeling effort was completed to represent existing, future, and alternative basin conditions through analysis of a suite of frequency flood profiles. Flooding was analyzed with respect to both rainfall and river stage risk drivers. Analyzed risk management opportunities included raising road elevations, culvert additions, clearing and snagging, flap gate installation, and channel additions. Additionally, roadway erosion and evacuation risk were assessed along with measures to improve resiliency at applicable sites. Critical findings and planning recommendations are provided on the basis of modeling results.
Astor, FL Flood Management Study Report (pdf, 1.03 MB)
Astor, FL Flood Management Study Appendix (pdf, 17.6 MB)
Nature-Based Solutions: Bridging the Gap from Principle to Practice
Nature-based solutions (NBS) provide alternative flood risk management methods by mimicking or using natural features and processes. The goal of this project is to increase awareness, knowledge, and familiarity of NBS with homeowners, community members and leaders, county and municipal planners, along with engineers and engineering students. The project team developed educational materials such as a StoryMap and supporting printable materials focused on six NBS commonly used in Florida and implementation methods, funding opportunities, ecological and community benefits, and community-level guidance for including NBS in planning and flood risk management options. The developed Nature-Based Solutions Engineering Fact Sheets aim to provide initial guidance on topics to consider when designing and planning NBS.
StoryMap: Beaches to Bioswales: Nature's Toolbox for Resilience
Supporting document: Beaches to Bioswales: Nature's Toolbox for Resistance (pdf, 5.98 MB)
Nature-Based Solutions Engineering Fact Sheets (pdf, 1.68 MB)
US 41 Collier Resiliency Study
Over 80 bridges along U.S.41 in Collier County will be reaching the end of their 75-year service life and will require rehabilitation, reconstruction, or another type of improvement in the next several years. This project focused on flood risk along a 50-mile stretch of U.S.41 in southern Collier County, FL, as well as seeking to understand ecosystem restoration in the vicinity of U.S.41 and a vision to improve the resilience of the roadway. Many different entities contributed to this project to make it successful in identifying a regional vision for U.S.41.
U.S. 41 Collier Resilience Study Project documents
The Immokalee Regional Water Plan
The Immokalee region in southwest Florida experiences numerous water-related issues, from flooding in the developed areas and on the Seminole Tribe's Immokalee Reservation to a lack of water in the natural systems of Big Cypress National Preserve and Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. This project brought together federal, Tribal, state, and local entities to create a joint vision of water management in the Immokalee region that benefits all partners. The Immokalee Regional Water Plan describes water problems, solutions, and actions agreed upon by all partners and will serve as the foundation for future water management projects in southwest Florida.
The Immokalee Regional Water Plan (pdf, 6.29 MB)
Florida Coastal Resilience Workshop
The Florida Coastal Resilience Workshop for planners and engineers is a Florida Silver Jackets initiative conducted between April and June of 2022 to increase community resilience to coastal storms facilitate compliance with state laws, statutes, and requirements by providing hands-on training with tools developed by state and federal agencies to assess, communicate, and address risk to Florida communities.
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Lake Martin Flood Management Study
The development of a hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) model and analysis of flood management opportunities was completed for the Lake Martin Basin in Bay County, FL. The scope of this study included defining flood risk drivers and at-risk areas within the basin, identifying potential solutions to reduce flood risk, and analyzing the effectiveness of identified measures.
Lake Martin Flood Management Study (pdf, 5.51 MB)
Resilience Guidebooks Rural Inland Counties in Florida
The State of Florida Silver Jackets Team implemented the Inland Community Resiliency Project that supported the rural inland counties of Columbia and Highlands. The project included preparing a guidebook with proposed solutions to reduce identified risks and building a network of relationships between county emergency mangers, state agencies and federal agencies to improve resilience. Currently scaled to achieve increased community resilience at the county level, this work also serves as a pilot project that could be applied to other rural counties in Florida and across the nation.
Highlands County Guidebook (pdf, 6.25MB)
Highlands County Workbook (pdf, 10.9MB)
Columbia County Guidebook (pdf, 4.99MB)
Columbia County Workbook (pdf, 11.3MB)