County begins Resilient Florida vulnerability assessment to map flooding risks and pursue mitigation grants

Lake County staff and its consultant, Geosyntech, outlined the scope and early schedule for a countywide hazard vulnerability assessment funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Resilient Florida program.

Consultants said the study will inventory regionally significant county and municipal assets'transportation corridors, water and wastewater treatment facilities, emergency facilities, and natural/cultural resources'and model exposure to rainfall-induced flooding for a current baseline and two future scenarios. Because Lake County is inland, the assessment will focus on rainfall-driven and land-use/soils-related flooding scenarios rather than coastal storm surge. The methodology follows Resilient Florida guidance and will include an exposure analysis (asset locations vs. modeled flood extents), a sensitivity analysis (how flood severity affects asset function), and a prioritization of adaptation and mitigation projects.

Scott Ditchy (Geosyntech) told the board the assessment is a prerequisite for eligibility for additional grant funding under the DEP program; once the assessment is complete and approved by DEP, the county will be able to apply for mitigation dollars for prioritized projects. The consultant emphasized the importance of county topographic and GIS layers and said staff and municipal partners will be asked to provide data. The project will also include outreach: a public web landing page where residents can report local flooding anecdotes that will supplement model runs.

Commissioners asked whether the assessment might recommend changes to the county's CRS (Community Rating System) or floodplain management codes; consultants said those recommendations could follow from the assessment and indicated they will coordinate with the Lake County Water Authority and other partners. Staff said the project will return to the commission with updates in the fall as the exposure and sensitivity analyses conclude.

Why this matters: The assessment lays the groundwork for competitive grant applications for hazard mitigation and helps the county prioritize infrastructure investments to reduce flood risk and improve eligibility for state and federal mitigation funding.