By LINDA CHION KENNEY
As hurricane season heats up, vulnerability is a key concern, and it’s been the subject of an online survey and community meetings held throughout the county, including at the Riverview Public Library in June.
The risk of flooding and other hazards is a key topic, as are mitigation efforts to lessen the blow.
As Hillsborough County officials put it, “The storm surge threat, amplified by climate change and sea level rise, requires constant awareness of the dangers and risks to human health and infrastructure in coastal communities.”
Concerns posted to an enlarged county map at the Riverview library meeting included Shadow Run Dam in Riverview and “high water marks at high levels” at Riverview Drive off Highway U.S. Highway 41.
Officials have been engaged in planning to update the Community Vulnerability Assessment (CVA), which was initially conducted in 2020, which should be noted, includes data collected before the rising post-pandemic housing costs and inflationary pressures.
The assessment aims to identify structures, infrastructure, people and natural resources that could be affected from the impacts of flooding and sea level rise. The so-called “adaptation plan” is envisioned as a guide to identify areas at risk and strategies that could be implemented.
Together, the CVA and Adaptation Plan are to inform the Local Mitigation Strategy (LMS), which aims to reduce the risks associated with natural and human-caused hazards. By maintaining an LMS, the county would be eligible for FEMA Hazard Mitigation grant assistance.
Public outreach meetings have been held and scheduled since the project kickoff in January, including in June and upcoming in November, with adoption of local mitigation strategies set for consideration in July 2025.
Bloomingdale Homeowners Association board member Suzy Watts, left, talks with study representatives at the June 11 meeting at the Riverview Public Library.
Study officials at the June 11 meeting in Riverview noted that in their work, ranking “high” for overall vulnerability were “tropical cyclone,” “severe storm” and “flood.” Both “drought” and “extreme heat” rated a “moderate” ranking.
Responses from Riverview library attendees offered a similar assessment.
When asked to name, “which hazards do you feel pose the greatest threat to your community,” attendee responses given the greatest weight were flooding and extreme heat. Additional responses included hurricanes, unabated development, power loss, drought, erosion, lightning strikes and dam/levee failure.
Asked to describe a time when they were “negatively impacted by any of the previously mentioned hazards in Hillsborough County,” responses included “water shortages,” “tropical cyclone and damage by downed trees” and “high rainfall amounts about 10 years ago that flooded my yard for an extended time.” Additional individual responses included, “power outages during regular storm events” and “flooding on South Dale Mabry, and I couldn’t leave work for over an hour.” One, longer response noted: “Extreme heat makes many days unlivable, save for the A/C and fans and shelters that bring relief. Transportation incidents would be, as a daily rule, traffic gridlock.”
The Florida Center for Community Design and Research (FCDD+R), based at the University of South Florida, is working in partnership with county officials to help community members measure and prepare for the potential impacts from flooding and sea level rise.
Linda Chion Kenney photos
Present day storm surge was one of the many topics discussed at the Riverview library meeting.
The virtual survey online, on the county’s engagement hub, asks for input concerning natural hazards (including hurricanes, floods, droughts, erosion and suspect soil/sinkholes) and human-caused and technological hazards (including cyberterrorism, agricultural disruption, disease outbreak, infrastructure disruption and hazardous material, transportation and space weather incidents). Also requested are concerns about “potential future impacts,” including “more extreme or frequent heatwaves” and “in-migration of people to Hillsborough County from areas more severely impacted by climate change.”
An official at the June 11 meeting said work and survey responses would be presented in November, and that starting this month, “we’ll be wrapping up and progressing into adaptation strategy.”
For more, including the survey and a related video, visit https://publicinput.com/j5032/.