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County staff and consultants present climate-vulnerability assessment required for Resilient Florida grants
Summary
Indian River County staff and consultants from Tetra Tech presented a countywide Climate Vulnerability Assessment on March 11. The assessment maps sea-level rise, high-tide and storm-surge exposure for 2040, 2070 and 2100 and identifies 10 "flooding focus areas" with prioritized assets such as lift stations, fire stations and parks; the final
Indian River County planners and consultant team Tetra Tech presented the county's draft Climate Vulnerability Assessment (CVA) during the March 11 meeting, a grant-funded technical study required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to qualify for implementation funding through the Resilient Florida program.
Top-line findings The draft inventory reviewed more than 15,000 county and community assets, of which approximately 1,300 are county-owned. Consultants identified 10 "flooding focus areas" across the county where concentrations of critical assets coincide with exposure to sea-level rise, storm surge and rainfall-driven flooding under the state-prescribed scenarios (present-day, 2040, 2070 and 2100). Tetra Tech identified roughly 97 priority assets (high-ranked) and several hundred assets ranked medium or lower.
Examples of prioritized assets In the presentation consultants and staff flagged a set of high-priority facilities: Sebastian Landing lift station; several critical wastewater lift stations; multiple County fire-rescue stations; the reclamation facility and communications infrastructure near the airport; and select parks and boat ramps in low-lying zones. The presentation also called out regionally significant infrastructure such as I-95, US 1 and the airport, which are not necessarily county-owned but could lose access during compound flooding events.
Methodology and statutory constraints The assessment followed the Resilient Florida requirements, which prescribe use of specific sea-level-rise projections (NOAA-derived scenarios) and a standard exposure approach that maps water extent relative to land elevation. Consultants emphasized the assessment does not model stormwater infrastructure capacity, seawalls, or local pumping operations; instead it maps where water would be expected to lie on the ground under different scenarios and then overlays the county's asset inventory to show exposure and timing.
Socioeconomic overlay and prioritization The draft prioritization also added a socioeconomic lens: assets located in socially vulnerable communities were weighted higher in prioritization. The assessment includes a separate set of "focus-area" maps and a scoring approach that ranks assets by timing of impact, exposure to multiple hazards, and potential social vulnerability.
Next steps and grant eligibility Staff said the draft is the first of two required public meetings under the DEP grant and that they will incorporate comments and return the final CVA to the board at the March 25 meeting for adoption and submittal to DEP. Completing the CVA will allow the county to apply for implementation grants (which often require a local assessment as a prerequisite) and make the county eligible for Resilient Florida funding with a required match for projects.
Public and commissioner input Commissioner Moss asked for a clearer definition of adaptation and mitigation strategies and requested more public outreach; staff noted some comments had already been incorporated and said the next meeting will show revised text and additional references. A commissioner suggested consulting local Soil and Water Conservation District staff for county hydrology work; consultants and staff agreed to coordinate and to incorporate commissioner comments in the final draft.
Ending Staff will bring a revised CVA back to the board on March 25 for adoption and submittal to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection so the county remains eligible for Resilient Florida implementation grants.
