Securing a city’s sustainable climate resilience through state funding

City of Lynn Haven Vulnerability Assessment and Grant Management

With flooding, stormwater issues, and other impacts of climate change affecting their community situated on in Florida’s panhandle, the City of Lynn Haven decided it was time to conduct a vulnerability assessment. They reached out to our team for help with both the assessment and management of related grants.

Our initial tasks involved managing the Resilient Florida Program funding distributed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP). We assisted the city in preparing quarterly reports, detailing compliance with grant requirements, preparing grant amendments, assisting with reimbursement requests to FDEP, and completing the grant closeout process.

With funding secured, we evaluated both natural and built assets to develop strategies to protect, restore, and reduce their vulnerability to climate-related risks. We also reviewed the coastal element of the City’s Comprehensive Plan to find ways to integrate these strategies into policy documents. We shared these findings at a public workshop to inform the community about the vulnerability assessment and to discuss the proposed adaptation strategies.

By taking a coordinated approach to inland resilience, the City is effectively preparing the Lynn Haven community to defend it against the adverse impacts of rising sea levels, intensified storms, and severe flooding.