FL Communities Face $30 Billion In Tidal Flooding Losses By 2030; GOP Aid Arriving No Time Soon
Florida communities vulnerable to an estimated $30 billion in property damage from tidal flooding and flash flooding through 2030 will get unprecedented state help — but no time soon. First come assessments of coastal and inland areas most at risk, planning what to do about it, prioritizing approved projects, and completing the physical work.
That process won't even begin until Gov. Ron DeSantis signs off on funding in the proposed 2021-22 budget awaiting his approval. Then comes many months of study, according to the parameters for the new laws.
A pair of bills that DeSantis signed into law this month creates the Resilient Florida Grant Program, offering up to $100 million per year in grants for projects making them less vulnerable to flood damage. The grant recipients would pay half the costs of the projects, based on the language in the law. The program will address increasingly dangerous flooding induced by climate change, with legislative staff estimating damage from tidal flooding alone could cost up to $30 billion over the next nine years.
The Tampa Bay Climate Science Advisory Panel estimates sea level in that region will rise by at least 1 foot and by up to 2.5 feet by 2050. The Resilient Florida program will draw its funding from documentary-stamp tax revenue formerly reserved for Florida's affordable housing trust fund, according to the law. While the program is among the first in Florida to address the consequences of climate change, it does nothing to reduce the causes of climate change, according a consensus of environmentalists and scientific groups.
EDIT
https://patch.com/florida/across-fl/despite-some-legislative-action-floridas-response-rising-seas-flash-flooding-will
= new reply since forum marked as read
