City of Clearwater Concludes Citywide Vulnerability Assessment

City of Clearwater Concludes Citywide Vulnerability Assessment

Published on September 13, 2024

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The city of Clearwater and its consultants have concluded a citywide vulnerability assessment to better understand how climate factors, such as sea level rise, flooding and extreme heat, will impact the city in the near and distant future. A public presentation, summarizing the results of this study will be provided to the Clearwater City Council during a public hearing at an upcoming Work Session at 1 p.m. Sept. 16 in Council Chambers at the Clearwater Main Library.

This assessment was funded by the State of Florida's Resilient Florida Grant Program at $197,848, with a required local match of $24,000.

Under the guidance of a multi-disciplinary Technical Advisory Committee involving regional partners, the city worked with a consulting firm to create a "digital twin" of Clearwater to test vital community elements, including the natural, built, and social environments, against several projected climate impacts, with the greatest priority being given to analyzing the impacts of increasing sea levels, flooding and heat.

"This is a critical step in preparing our community for the challenges posed by climate change," said Sustainability Manager Cassie Cordova. "By creating a digital twin of our city, we will ensure that Clearwater is well-positioned to cost-effectively prioritize resilient infrastructure investments across all parts of the city into our future planning efforts. The results of this project will help us build a safer, more sustainable future for all Clearwater residents and businesses."