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Palm Coast proclaims Flood Awareness Week, highlights stormwater work and insurance outreach
Summary
The City of Palm Coast proclaimed the week of March 3, 2025 as Flood Awareness Week. City officials and Deputy Director of Stormwater and Engineering Lynn Stevens emphasized resident preparedness, ongoing stormwater projects including canal and pipe work, and urged consideration of flood insurance.
PALM COAST, Fla. — The City of Palm Coast on March 3, 2025 proclaimed the week of March 3 as Flood Awareness Week and used the observance to emphasize resident preparedness and ongoing city stormwater work.
The proclamation, read during the City Council business meeting, cited the city’s experience with extreme rainfall and tropical systems and noted participation in the National Flood Insurance Program as a tool to reduce financial losses. Deputy Director of Stormwater and Engineering Lynn Stevens accepted the proclamation and described steps residents and the city can take to reduce flood risk.
Why it matters: The proclamation and council remarks framed flood risk as an ongoing local infrastructure and safety concern. City staff described a mix of capital work and routine maintenance — canals, ditches, swale systems and pipe replacement — that officials said are central to moving stormwater away from neighborhoods during heavy rain.
“Know your risk. Check the local flood maps to understand if your area is prone to flooding,” Lynn Stevens said. “Create a plan. Make sure you have a family emergency plan for all types of emergencies.”
Stevens reiterated common flood-safety guidance: stay informed of weather reports, heed warnings from local authorities and “turn around, don’t drown,” warning residents never to drive or walk through flooded areas. She also described the city crews working on canals, ditches and swales and said, “We’re going to reach over a mile of pipe replacement this year.”
Council members thanked the stormwater staff for ongoing work. Councilman Miller said the canals and ditches — not just visible swales in front yards — are critical to moving water out of neighborhoods. Councilman Gambiero noted the recent opening of the London Waterway lake as a relief measure for some neighborhoods and said the city has made a legislative request for additional help in the southern Seminole Woods area.
Mayor Michael Norris encouraged residents to consider flood insurance, saying he saw policies available “at the low end” for what he recalled as about $130 annually.
The council and staff asked residents to report flooding or stormwater problems through the city’s service channels and to contact their council members if an issue appears critical.
No formal vote or policy change occurred during the proclamation. The item consisted of the official proclamation reading, staff remarks and brief council comments.
