JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Hurricane season hasn’t been kind to Florida this year, and some officials are worried about what another large storm would mean for the state’s infrastructure.
With hurricanes becoming stronger and occurring more frequently, state leaders and environmental advocates such as The Sierra Club of Northeast Florida and Florida For All urged Florida’s Republican leadership to secure federal funds for long-term solutions to protect the state’s homes and communities during a news conference on Tuesday at Memorial Park in Jacksonville.
According to Florida State Rep. Angie Nixon, the state’s failure to invest in these critical areas puts immense pressure on first responders, utility workers, and the state-supported nonprofit home insurance company Citizens Property Insurance.
She also pointed out that property insurance premiums in Florida are skyrocketing, causing many residents to face financial strain.
“Governor DeSantis ignored repeated warnings and rejected billions in federal funds that were earmarked for climate resilience,” she said. “As a result, thousands of Floridians are left to rebuild from nothing after each storm, while insurance companies raise their rates.”
Marine Corps Veteran Kyle Mitchell, who lives near the Trout River, an area prone to flooding, shared his personal experience with the dangers of inadequate stormwater systems.
“I can tell you firsthand that my house floods anytime we receive more than six inches of rain,” Mitchell said. “It’s a terrifying reality that too many of us are facing. In my home, mushrooms are literally growing on our baseboards from the water damage.”
Images that Mitchell shared with News4JAX highlight the broader issue of storm drains that can’t handle increased rainfall and stronger hurricanes.
Bill Snow from the Sierra Club of Northeast Florida echoed these sentiments, stressing the need for urgent investment in stormwater systems, seawalls and green infrastructure.
“We need to build systems that can prevent flooding from covering our streets and homes,” Snow said.
The group intentionally chose Memorial Park for Tuesday’s press conference because the park’s concrete balustrades, which were destroyed during past hurricanes, have been temporarily replaced with plastic barriers.
Sierra Club adds that the damage reflects the larger problem of underinvestment in resilient infrastructure.
News4JAX reached out to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office for comment and asked if state leaders will consider investing more money in infrastructure and resiliency.
They referred us to an announcement made by the governor back in April when he signed legislation that did the following:
- An investment of $1.8 billion to strengthen coastal infrastructure.
- An additional $50 million in the state budget for beach renourishment.
- $200 million in new funding for the My Safe Florida Homes program.
- $30 million for the My Safe Florida Condos pilot program.
Late last week, DeSantis made national headlines when he once again dismissed the impact of climate change.
“It is hurricane season. You are going to have tropical weather,” he said during a news conference to detail Hurricane Miltion cleanup efforts. “Look, if I could control the weather, I would do, you know, 78 and sunny year-round...And this is on both sides. You kind of have some people think government can do this, and others think it’s all because of fossil fuels. The reality is, is what we see — there’s precedent for all this in history. I just think people should put this in perspective. They try to take different things that happen with tropical weather and act like it’s something — there’s nothing new under the sun.”