Palm Beach County has reached a significant milestone in the Countywide Climate Risk Assessment with the completion of the initial risk assessment. The comprehensive evaluation examines potential threats due to climate change, such as extreme heat, agricultural impacts, wildfires and extreme flooding events.
The county's consultant, Tetra Tech, is leading a team of experts to support all aspects of the assessment and plan. The project's outcome will be a Climate Change Risk Assessment and Resilience Action Plan that will make Palm Beach County more competitive for infrastructure grants. These grants include opportunities through the Resilient Florida Grant Program, which has disbursed over $1.5 billion in grants over the past three years.
The Climate Risk Assessment includes public outreach meetings and community engagement throughout the county. These activities will help with data collection, flood mapping and modeling, critical asset evaluation and suggested county policy updates.
Seeking to make this a collaborative effort, community input is being solicited to finalize the assessment and pave the way for a preliminary Climate Action Plan. While efforts to identify and assess future climate change impacts on vital assets have been ongoing, this project formalizes those endeavors across Palm Beach County.
The next community conversation for the project will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, at the Belle Glade Civic Center, located at 725 NW 4th Street in Belle Glade, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to explain the project's goals and outcomes and solicit community feedback. A light dinner and refreshments will be served.
To participate in the community conversation, please register using the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_G_sXUMQ5QbOEZsJInQhdLw
The county has also launched a survey to obtain feedback from the community on the impacts of flooding and climate change. The survey results will help the county prioritize infrastructure improvements, policies and community programs. To participate in the survey, please visit the following link:
https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/cd465c859f454c7e8d3ce4439bbd2ade
“Palm Beach County and the project team are excited to share initial climate risk results with our residents and get their input on this important project that will help us all prepare for current and future climate challenges," said Palm Beach County Chief Resilience Officer Megan Houston. “Residents' perspectives are invaluable in shaping a resilient and sustainable future for our community."