Delray Beach City Commission Presentation on Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

At the January 14, 2014 Delray Beach City Commission Meeting, Nancy Schneider, a Sustainability and Sea Level Rise Consultant who resides in Delray Beach, gave an excellent presentation on Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge. Several members of communities with adaptation concerns attended, including residents of the Gulf Stream and Historic Marina District of Delray Beach communities. Representatives from organizations participating in our newly formed Climate Action Coalition also attended, including the League of Women Voters, Organizing for Action, and MoveOn. John Englander was able to attend the conclusion of the presentation. A video of the presentation can be viewed here. The Powerpoint Presentation on Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge gave important information for residents of Delray Beach.

The presentation focused on projected sea level rise and storm surge impacts specifically in Delray Beach, as well as steps that the Delray Beach City Commission can take to make Delray Beach more resilient to Climate Change.

Schneider explained that due to the Biggert-Waters Insurance Reform Act of 2012, FEMA Flood Insurance will no longer be subsidized by the federal government.  She further explained that there is a FEMA CRS system (Discussion begins at 18:41 in the presentation). This is a system of 10 Classes of FEMA Insurance rates. For each class reduction, there is a corresponding 5% reduction in the FEMA Flood Insurance rate.Cities can decrease the FEMA Flood Insurance rates on residential, commercial, and city property by adopting certain adaptation strategies.

Some of these strategies have already been adopted in surrounding communities, which enjoy lower FEMA Flood Insurance rates than Delray Beach does. At 20:48 in the presentation, there is a slide showing the FEMA CRS ratings of several Florida communities. The City of Delray Beach is currently at Class 9. Boynton Beach, by way of contrast, enjoys an annual $495,000 FEMA Flood Insurance reduction because has implemented more of the CRS Floodplain Management Efforts.

 

The first five adaptation steps in the proposed Sea Level Rise Management Plan were:

1. Increase participation in FEMA CRS

2. Join the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Action Compact

3. Communicate with surrounding communities, RPC,  NOAA, NGO’s, and others.

4. Establish a SLR Adaptation Committee or Resommendation Board and Outreach Campaign to begin the conversations regarding the options: Fortify, Accommodate, Retreat, Avoid

5. Communicate with Surrounding Communities, Agencies, and others.