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Commissioner’s Message

had the pleasure of hosting a citywide Telephone Town Hall meeting in late
October. It didn’t take long for a caller to raise the topic of King Tides. It’s a
Ifamiliar subject that elicits frustration and concern from neighbors at my District
Meetings and when I’m out in the community.
One of the reasons many of us choose to live in Fort Lauderdale is its proximity to
the water. Our exquisite seven miles of shoreline and 300 miles of canal coastline
are as unique as they are spectacular. While the waterways provide countless
blessings, they increase our vulnerability to climate change. As sea levels rise,
residents are faced with more intense and more frequent impacts.
The good news is that the leaders of your community share your concerns and we
are taking steps to address them. As we celebrated how far we had come at our
centennial in 2011, we began to look ahead to the next hundred years. A citywide
visioning initiative revealed overwhelming public support to implement adaptation
strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The City Commission unanimously adopted a Vision Plan, Fast Forward Fort
Lauderdale, and a five-year Strategic Plan, Press Play Fort Lauderdale, both of which
Heather Moraitis
District I Commissioner emphasize climate resilience as a top priority. Determined to turn these plans into
action, Fort Lauderdale adopted a resiliency lens and embraced a holistic
perspective to develop sustainable strategies to foster our long-term well-being.
Today, we are building community resilience through numerous initiatives. To minimize King Tide flooding, we monitor
pump stations and inspect and clean tidal valves, storm drains, and catch basins. We investigate reported flooding and
send information to neighbors to raise awareness about potential impacts and encourage safety precautions.
We are also utilizing long-term adaptation strategies to minimize the threat to neighbors. We updated our floodplain
ordinance with higher development standards to minimize stormwater runoff and flooding. Adaptation Action Areas were
incorporated into the Comprehensive Plan to prioritize funding for infrastructure projects to improve drainage in low-lying
and flood-prone areas of the City.
A comprehensive Stormwater Master Plan is driving infrastructure improvements to proactively address the impacts of
climate change. The plan includes specific infrastructure investments in seawalls, drainage, pump stations, bio swales,
and retention parks. We’ve installed 165 tidal valves to prevent water from backing up into the streets and keep roads
dry. They’ve proven so successful that we plan to continue installing them in vulnerable areas throughout our community.
We’re also lining stormwater pipes and replacing stormwater catch basins to reduce tidal effects.

As we expand the capacity of our drainage system, we are also working to prevent water from coming over seawalls.
We updated our Seawall ordinance to increase the minimum elevation for new construction and require residents to
contain tidal waters on their property. A new Seawall Master Plan identifies and prioritizes repairs needed on City-owned
seawalls. Design work and construction are already underway for seawalls along Cordova Road and Isle of Palms.
These are just a few of the steps we are taking to create a climate-resilient Fort Lauderdale. We are committed to
investing the resources we need to protect our community for generations to come. To learn more about our efforts to
strengthen our resilience, visit fortlauderdale.gov/kingtide. n

Sincerely,

Heather Moraitis
District I Commissioner

10 The Landings & Bay Colony