Video

In 2004, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne, all major hurricanes, wreaked havoc across large swaths of Florida, including the Treasure Coast region along Florida’s Atlantic shores, where St. Lucie County lies. Damaging winds and floods earned Florida the nickname “the Plywood State,” and the pace and severity of these flooding and storm events have only increased. Historically disinvested communities tend to be less prepared and harder hit by these disasters while facing more difficult recoveries, due to the legacies of institutional disinvestment and discriminatory policies. St. Lucie County is no exception. Majority-Black Ft. Pierce, especially in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, is seeing the effects of flooding against a backdrop of increased development through affordability issues and inadequate infrastructure.

Smart Growth America partnered with Incubate Neighborhood Center, a community-based organization seeking to address systematic and institutionalized forms of racism, in the Ft. Pierce area to learn from community residents, business owners, government officials, and regional resilience partners about their experiences with flooding. The resulting video, “Ft. Pierce on the frontlines: Solutions for flooding and resilience” highlights the need for equitable and climate resilient land use and economic development policies in the region.

Special thanks to:
@Ecodeo
Canieria Gardner, Incubate Neighborhood Center
Teresa Bishop, Roundtable of St. Lucie County
Bishop Dr. Jonathan Ingram, St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church
Darcy L. McFolley, Sr., IGNITE Youth Alliance
Rachel Tennant, Fort Pierce Utilities Authority
Caleta Scott, Fort Pierce Housing Authority / Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program
Paul Thomas, City of Fort Pierce
Angela Hayle, ACCH Insurance
Vincent Encomio, UF IFAS / Florida Sea Grant
Sonji Hawkins, St. Lucie County Public Safety
Oscar Hance, St. Lucie County Public Safety
Tessa Adams, Phatz Chick-N-Shack
Heathcote Botanical Gardens

Additional Resources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/billions/mapping

St. Lucie County Emergency Management: https://www.stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/public-safety/disaster-preparedness

FEMA National Flood Insurance Program: https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance

FEMA: What are Flood Zones and Maps: https://www.floodsmart.gov/flood-zones-and-maps

Local engagement opportunity: https://www.stlucieco.gov/departments-and-services/oxbow-eco-center/resilient-st-lucie-county