As I write this, we hit the one-year mark since both Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the fall of 2024 inflicted destruction in our city like we have never seen before. We are a different city than we were before those two back-to-back storms, and the affected neighborhoods still tell the story. As the tides rise and storms intensify, St. Petersburg has a unique opportunity to emerge as a national leader in climate resilience. Once considered safe from flooding, the city now faces a new reality where even historically high and dry neighborhoods are experiencing the effects of long overdue investment and a clear strategy to ensure we are a Resilient City. This vision goes beyond infrastructure. It reflects our responsibility to safeguard economic vitality, housing stability and the well-being of our community.
Historical data from the Tampa Bay tidal gauge shows nearly 10 inches of sea level rise since 1947. Projections suggest an additional 1.1 to 2.8 feet by 2075. Today, 41% of properties citywide – and a staggering 95% in District 2 – lie within coastal high hazard areas. Adding to this unique challenge is the fact that our city has long been “built out” with many homes and businesses being constructed at grade long before FEMA flood maps were implemented. According to the Pinellas County Property Appraiser’s Office, we have over 62,000 of these homes, and approximately 31% of these homes lie within our most vulnerable neighborhoods. In neighborhoods like Riviera Bay and Shore Acres, repetitive loss properties have surged by 241% since 2016.
This is the challenge of our time, and the path to resilience is not without obstacles. Economic constraints weigh heavily on renters and residents with fixed incomes, many of whom lack the resources to elevate or harden their homes. Insurance costs are rising, and current permitting systems can be overwhelmed when we experience a dramatic influx, as we saw over the last year. Workforce shortages and policy bottlenecks, such as a stalled shelter mitigation fee bank, further complicate resiliency efforts.
Coordination across mutual aid organizations and the city to deliver a critical response after the storm could again present a problem if we were to get another storm within this season or the next. In the days after the storms, we saw our city teams stretched to the limit, many times leaving their own damaged homes to deliver relief to our residents. I will forever be grateful to them for the sacrifices they made to serve our community during that incredibly difficult time. My office became a conduit to relay boots-on-the-ground information to city teams and residents alike, often making connections in real time or knocking on the doors of our most vulnerable to ensure they were given access to resources during their time of need. There are many lessons learned from those events that we must never forget as we move forward.
So, where do we begin, and how can we make sure we’re better prepared when the next storm hits? The challenges are real, but the path forward is clear. If we stay committed, the long-term benefits will far outweigh the costs.
One of the first priorities is reforming the permitting process. After recent hurricanes, the city experienced a dramatic surge in permit applications, and it became clear that our systems need to be faster and more responsive. That’s why I have been meeting with and working closely with local builders and the St. Pete Chamber to inform the processes of streamlining our disaster recovery procedures, and working to make it easier for residents to elevate, mitigate, and harden their homes.
Then there’s the Elevate Florida program, which is a statewide initiative designed to help homeowners raise their properties above flood levels. St. Petersburg residents submitted around 1,200 applications, but only 153 are currently moving forward. That gap between need and capacity is something we’re determined to close, and we are working to utilize approximately $160M of federal funding to do just that.
We must also work to invest in our people and our workforce. I have partnered with the Flood Mitigation Industry Association to launch a workforce initiative that would bring a flood mitigation curriculum and apprenticeship program to St. Petersburg. This would be the first of its kind in the state and the second in the country. This isn’t just about training, it’s about creating high-paying, local jobs that strengthen our community’s ability to respond to future disasters. Increasing our workforce in this area will also drive down the cost of mitigation for residents and expedite the rebuilding of our neighborhoods.
Food resilience is another key piece of the puzzle. Urban agriculture is gaining momentum, thanks to supportive ordinances and pilot projects at the state level, all of which I have been proud to champion. From the Community Food Forest initiative to the Municipal Grocery Store concept, I continue to explore innovative ways to ensure access to healthy food, especially in underserved neighborhoods.
And of course, we can’t talk about resilience without addressing the backbone of our city, its infrastructure. I’ve been a passionate advocate for accelerating the implementation of our nearly billion-dollar Stormwater Master Plan, but it’s not just about spending more. It’s about spending smarter, with our community leading the way.
That’s why the Resilient St. Pete Action Plan is so important. Developed in partnership with Jacobs Engineering and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, this plan is more than a technical roadmap; it’s a reflection of our residents’ voices. From neighborhood tours to workshops and listening sessions, we are ensuring that every corner of our city has a seat at the table. We’re not just building stronger systems, we’re building trust, collaboration, and a shared vision for a safer future. Because when resilience is rooted in community, it becomes more than a goal; it becomes a movement.
The financial case for resilience is compelling. It varies by source, but industry leaders agree that every dollar invested yields $6–$10 in recovery savings and at least $7 in avoided economic losses following a disaster. With an uptick of billion-dollar disasters occurring annually in the U.S., proactive adaptation is not just smart, it’s essential.
St. Petersburg’s climate resilience journey is not just about responding to rising seas, it’s about reimagining how a city protects its people, economy and identity in the face of environmental change. With equity at the center, the city is prioritizing inclusive planning, innovative programs, and community-driven solutions. St. Petersburg could be positioning itself as the leader in showing that resilience is not only possible, but transformative when rooted in collaboration and vision.