T urning Risk Assessment Into Resilient Design

Coastal cities must protect themselves from natural disasters, especially as the frequency and severity of these events continue to rise. Now sea levels are inching higher and higher. The City of Holmes Beach (COHB), a coastal city in Florida, and RESPEC are proactively preparing for whatever Mother Nature throws its way.

RESPEC performed a risk assessment to identify COHB’s vulnerability to flooding from storm surges, high precipitation, and rising sea levels. Preparing for the impact of rising sea levels is equal parts science and art, developing solutions to events that haven’t occurred. Using LiDAR to gather information about the city’s existing infrastructure and flood zones and adding estimated projections, we created models that offer the COHB a baseline map to show where flooding will occur under various conditions. From there, we can focus on protecting critical infrastructure and resources, such as evacuation routes, emergency centers, and wastewater treatment plants. The goal is to develop preliminary designs to create more resilient infrastructure for the future.

Acting now safeguards the COHB in the long run. With RESPEC at their side, the COHB is taking big steps to prepare for the worst by planning with the best.