The infrastructure that will save Florida from being submerged

Florida is preparing for the new hurricane season to avoid, or at least minimize, not only the impact of the violent wind gusts, but also the floods that hit the cities, both those overlooking the Gulf of Mexico and those on the Atlantic side of the state.

On the desks of city administrations, as well as Florida’s government, circulate these days studies signed by various universities on the effects of climate change and the likelihood that in the not-so-distant future — within decades, not centuries — major cities such as Miami, Jacksonville, and Tampa could end up underwater or be permanently flooded to varying degrees.

A new study from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, which has been monitoring sea-level rise for years, marks three towns on Florida’s Gulf Coast (Pensacola, St. Petersburg, and Fort Myers) as areas with the highest rate of sea-level rise, measured at 3.7 millimeters per year.

These movements may seem insignificant at first glance, but in the long term, they can have major effects, and for this reason, adequate responses are needed, starting with infrastructure development.

Phenomena such as king tides, coastal erosion, poor drainage, combined with an abnormal series of hurricanes, have led to identifying 2024 as one of the most devastating years of the last two decades, with destroyed homes, devastated crops, businesses compromised in various regions, and widespread damage along the Atlantic Coast up to North Carolina.

This is why the infrastructure response is crucial for Florida’s future and involves roads, water and electrical networks, and water treatment services.

Currently, local administrations are engaged in maintaining both wastewater treatment systems and upgrading water pumping systems used to prevent saltwater from infiltrating drinking water aquifers, a phenomenon that occurs precisely during extreme weather events.

In addition to the efforts of public administrations to find solutions to protect the territory and communities, private companies are contributing. The Webuild Group is active in Florida, particularly in the Tampa area, through its subsidiary Lane Construction, involved in the construction of roads, highways, bridges, and next-generation infrastructures, with a specific focus on climate threats.

Webuild, the world’s number one in the water infrastructure sector, also brings its expertise through its subsidiary Fisia Italimpianti, a leader in desalination and water treatment plants.

Florida is adopting various strategies to mitigate flood risks, planning investments to modernize or build new water management plants, implement flood barriers, and strengthen drainage infrastructures, with the goal of introducing building standards that require more stable and elevated structures relative to sea level.

Residents of Fort Myers County and neighboring areas know this well, having been hit by at least two or three hurricanes per season over the past twenty years, including Hurricane Charlie’s nearly 300 km/h winds in 2004, the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Hurricane Milton last year.

The effort to find infrastructural solutions to counter the fury of the winds and water invasion is widespread. The 7,500 residents of Long Boat Key, a 16 km-long island between Sarasota and Manatee counties south of Tampa, have spent about $50 million, signing an agreement with Florida Power & Light (FPL) for the installation of underground power lines. These lines were already severely tested last year with the arrival of Hurricane Helene, and many new transformers ended up flooded.

On the island, the St. Armand neighborhood was flooded three times in just over three months last year, hit by Debby, Helene, and Milton. The cause of this Florida coastline flooding is linked to underestimated drainage capacity, both for roads and for homes and shops located at sea level. Here too, infrastructure upgrades would be essential to protect residents from the risk of further flooding.