Florida Congressmen Join American Flood Coalition to Address Flooding and Sea Level Rise
Congressmen Rutherford, Lawson, and Waltz join the American Flood Coalition, demonstrating bipartisan support for solutions to sea level rise and flooding.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: WASHINGTON, D.C., MARCH 26, 2019
The American Flood Coalition announced today that Florida Congressmen John Rutherford, Al Lawson, and Michael Waltz have joined its nonpartisan alliance to address the growing threat of flooding and sea level rise. These northern Florida Congressmen will work across party lines to draw federal attention and drive solutions to increased flooding and rising seas. This group of Congressmen is the largest to collectively join the Coalition.
These Congressional members join the coalition at a time of growing concern in Florida over flooding and sea level rise. Combined, Rutherford, Lawson, and Waltz represent over 2 million people, including American Flood Coalition member cities St. Augustine1, St. Augustine Beach2, Port Orange3, and Ponce Inlet4.
The area represented by Rep. Rutherford is home to both Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport, where over 25,000 active duty personnel and 66,000 family members live. Sea level rise is expected to increase the risk of flooding faced by the bases, in addition to other locations in Jacksonville5. Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport are critical to the local economy, with spending by the Department of Defense driving more than $11 billion of gross regional product and providing more than 100,000 jobs in the state. By joining the Coalition, Rep. Rutherford has indicated the importance of protecting valuable military assets and the jobs they provide.
“Sea level rise impacts our many coastal communities and military installations in Northeast Florida,” said Rep. Rutherford. “The flooding we have experienced in recent years threatens individual property, national security, and our local economy. I am proud to join the American Flood Coalition and work in a bipartisan way to find solutions to sea level rise.”
Within the counties represented by Congressman Lawson, there are 85 schools located within a “100-year” floodplain6. Also in the area are Duval and Leon counties, which have over $1 billion in public facilities located in floodplains7. Rep. Lawson’s membership in the Coalition will raise awareness and help further efforts to protect the neighborhoods, schools, and important infrastructure.
“The devastation of Hurricane Irma impacted citizens of 48 counties across the state of Florida, including areas in the fifth district,” said Rep. Lawson. “Jacksonville was severely affected by the record flooding, and many hardworking residents were left with injuries, flooded homes and nowhere to turn for refuge. I worked to secure disaster relief funding to assist with the recovery efforts. Although we’ve made progress, there is still much work to be done to address the rising sea levels. As we keep moving forward, I will work proactively with the American Flood Coalition to ensure we protect all citizens regarding this critical issue.”
In the area represented by Rep. Waltz, both business owners and homeowners are increasingly concerned over the severe threat of flooding and sea level rise. There is $1.6 billion (~3,600 residential properties) in home value at risk of yearly coastal flooding by 20508. In Volusia County, 26% of business owners noted that their business had flooded due to natural causes, and almost 13% of homeowners recalled their homes flooding9. In Flagler County, one third of the land area is located within a flood zone. By joining the Coalition, Rep. Waltz signals his commitment to helping reduce the flood risk for property owners.
“Floridians know the sea is rising – our beaches are smaller and eroding, flooding is more frequent and threats to our fresh water are increasing,” said Rep. Waltz. “It’s a threat to our economy, our national security, and our environment. I’m proud to be a part of the American Flood Coalition and look forward to encouraging more colleagues to put our differences aside and work on realistic, bipartisan solutions to protect and strengthen our communities.”
With the addition of these Federal champions, the Coalition now includes 12 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and from six states.
“It’s rare and encouraging to see our Congressional leaders take proactive action to address the challenges of flooding and sea level rise in a regional and bipartisan manner,” said Melissa Roberts, Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition. “We’re grateful for the leadership of Congressmen Rutherford, Lawson, and Waltz and look forward to advancing practical national solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect the nation’s residents, economy, and military installations”
The American Flood Coalition is a nonpartisan group of cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups that have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding through national solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect our nation’s residents, economy, and military installations.
Cities, towns, elected officials, businesses, and local leaders wishing to join the American Flood Coalition or read more about the organization’s work can visit the coalition’s website (www.floodcoalition.org) to find out more.
- Footnotes
- 1. https://floodcoalition.org/members/st-augustine/
- 2. https://floodcoalition.org/members/st-augustine-beach/
- 3. https://floodcoalition.org/members/port-orange/
- 4. https://floodcoalition.org/members/ponce-inlet/
- 5. https://www.jacksonville.com/news/20180223/northeast-florida-scientists-agree-sea-level-rise-is-here-and-its-dangerous
- 6. https://www.floridadisaster.org/contentassets/c6a7ead876b1439caad3b
- 38f7122d334/appendix-e_risk_assessment_data.pdf
- 7. https://www.floridadisaster.org/contentassets/c6a7ead876b1439caad3b
- 38f7122d334/shmp-2018-full-02-23-2018.pdf%20124
- 8. https://ucsusa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=b53e9dd7a85a44488466e1a38de87601
- 9. https://www.ormondbeach.org/DocumentCenter/View/10324/Volusia-Floodplain-Management-Plan3?bidId=
