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Broward County resilience study warns of rising flood risk for Lighthouse Point
Summary
Broward County staff presented countywide modeling showing increasing flood exposure and said combined adaptations—seawalls, pumps and green infrastructure—could substantially reduce damages for Lighthouse Point. The county will provide a municipal roll-up with prioritized, hyper-local recommendations.
Dr. Jennifer Geraldo, chief resilience officer and deputy director of Broward County's resilience and environmental programs, told Lighthouse Point commissioners that the county's regional resilience modeling shows rising flood risk for the Southeast and for the city specifically.
"It's about 15% higher than the global average," Geraldo said of the accelerated rate of sea level rise in the Southeast, explaining the study uses NOAA's intermediate-high projection and combined flood scenarios to assess risk. She described the work as a multi-year effort that modeled compound flood conditions—sea level rise, intense rainfall, high tides and groundwater rise—and produced municipal-level recommendations in a final rollup.
The study's modeling evaluates combined scenarios and two adaptation tiers. Geraldo said the team modeled many adaptation measures—green infrastructure, storage (including deep swales and subsurface chambers), improved conveyance, pumps, and seawalls—and then assessed the resulting reductions in damages and property loss. She emphasized the presentation provides an overview and that the final report will include project prioritization broken down by municipality.
Next steps: Geraldo said the county would deliver the more detailed, Lighthouse Point-specific rollup and a public viewer tool so staff and residents can explore modeled scenarios and adaptation options. Commissioners and members of the public were invited to follow up with staff for more detailed technical assumptions.
