HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Hillsborough County is on a mission, and they need your help.
The county and the Florida Center for Community Design and Research need residents' input to identify areas most at risk of flooding to update the County's Community Vulnerability Assessment.
It helps the community measure the potential impacts of flooding and sea level rise by identifying structures, infrastructure, people and natural resources that may be affected.
The county isn't just asking for help, it's seeking a partnership with the community to direct its mitigation efforts effectively.
With flooding and sea level rise posing a growing threat, the county said the outcomes of this assessment will be pivotal in ensuring the safety and swift recovery of the community in times of crisis.
The stakes are high, and the county said they're prepared to listen, adapt and act, but they need to be able to pinpoint the areas causing the biggest headaches to secure funding to address them in the future.
Troy Salisbury with Hillsborough County said it’s extremely important members of the community weigh into the discussion.
“We don’t know all the areas of the county, people that live in their own community understand what is going on in their own communities, so we want their input," he said. That input is extremely valuable and if we don’t get that input, the plan that we put together really isn’t going to be very useful.”
The county has laid out a series of interactive workshops and presentations, with the first meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Town 'N Country Regional Public Library.
They are urging community members to show up because it will help craft where federal and state funding will be spent moving forward. Information gathered through the meetings will help experts identify at-risk areas and what strategies can be implemented.
The county will also stream the meeting on teams where people can participate in the chat to provide feedback or voice concerns.
The link will be available on the Hillsborough County website.